The Christmas Child (Bovine, Texas 3)
by SteelCityMagnolia
Summary: In the weeks before Christmas, a small child wanders in to Bovine all alone, bringing along a mystery for sheriff Hayes Cooper and deputy Judd Weaver to unravel as well as changes for newlyweds Judd and Lily. Sydney and Gage fans: Judd and Lily are the S/G counterparts in the Hayes Cooper storyline
1. Chapter 1

**_DISCLAIMER: AS ALWAYS, I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE WALKER, TEXAS RANGER CHARACTERS NOR IS ANY OWNERSHIP IMPLIED. _**

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE: IN THE HAYES COOPER FLASHBACKS OF THE LAST EPISODES OF WTR, SYDNEY'S CHARACTER WAS NOT NAMED. SINCE SHE IS A VITAL CHARACTER IN THESE STORIES, SHE NEEDED A NAME, SO I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF CHOOSING A NAME FOR HER, HENCE THE CHARACTER OF LILY._**

The child walked slowly along the main street of Bovine, Texas, head bowed against the cold December wind that whipped and whirled off of the prairie. It was a cold night, and no night for a child to be out alone, especially a child that was barefoot and wearing only a man's long shirt as protection from the winter chill. Where the street had been muddy, it was now iced over and walking required careful concentration. A mix of snow and sleet fell from the dark sky, making it difficult to see more than just a few feet ahead.

The child, maybe only five or six years old at the very oldest, walked toward the only light on the street, the lights of the Red Ox Saloon. The golden light that shined from the saloon windows was inviting and radiated warmth. Upon reaching the saloon, the child peered cautiously through the windows and was surprised at the raucous scene inside: men sat at tables playing cards and gambling, glasses of amber liquids in their hands. Women in fancy dresses, their hair curled and piled high on their heads, their cheeks rouged, laughed and twirled around, dancing to the music that came from a piano in the corner. Men shouted and pulled the women onto their laps and the women giggled and coddled the men like the child's mother did when Baby Sister would cry.

Ma wouldn't be happy about it, the child seeing a scene like this. The child didn't quite know what was wrong with it, other than people didn't act this way outside of buildings like this. Nevertheless, the child was cold and hungry and needed help. Ma and Pa and Baby Sister were sick and maybe somebody in that building would be able to do something for them. Not sure what to do, and afraid to go inside, the child curled up on the wooden walkway next to a bench that sat just off to the side of the saloon's swinging doors and waited for somebody to go in or out. There, a slight bit of warmth from inside the barroom could be felt, and the golden light that shined out onto the street felt like the closest thing to hope the child had felt in days. The child nestled in the tiny nook between the bench and the side of the worn wooden building and listened to the music and laughter from inside, trying to forget about being cold and hungry. In no time at all the child's eyelids grew heavy and sleep won out. It was quite a surprise to the revelers inside when they left the saloon for the night to find a young child fast asleep right outside the doors of the Red Ox.

* * *

"Who would have left a child here?" Ophelia mused. "You don't think a cowboy forgot him, do you?"

Angeline rolled her eyes at her friend's naiveté. Pulling off her shawl and tucking it around the sleeping child, she replied tartly, "Not hardly, Ophelia. I think _she_ is lost."

"He, she, it don't matter," Ophelia retorted. "We can't just leave a child out here in the cold. What are we going to do?"

"You could take the kid to Doc Amos," Matt said, stepping out onto the porch to see what was keeping Ophelia. He had taken a bit of a shine to the curly-haired blond with the angelic face and was hoping to spend a bit more time with her before he rode back out of town for the night. "Or you could wait for the sheriff to make his rounds and see what he thinks."

"Well, we can't leave a kid out here in the cold," Angeline announced matter-of-factly. She knelt and scooped the child up in her arms and headed back inside to the warmth of the saloon.

"But Angeline, that's a little child! You can't take a little child into a saloon for God's sake!" Ophelia wailed in objection but she followed her friend back inside with Matt in tow.

Angeline had already cleared a group of cowboys from the table closest to the woodstove and had ordered another cowboy to add a couple more logs to the fire. She deposited the child onto a chair and pulled it close to the stove.

"Stan, bring something warm to drink, tea, maybe," she ordered, "And Ophelia, find me your shawl or get a blanket. This poor little thing is just about froze to death."

Hayes Cooper was the sheriff of Bovine, Texas and usually made his rounds every night to make sure all was calm in town. That night, though, he had traded duties with his deputy, Judd Weaver. When Weaver got to the Red Ox, he was surprised to see most of the saloon's occupants crowded around the building's woodstove, staring in awe at a little blond child who was sound asleep on Angeline's lap.

"Whose kid is that?" Weaver asked as he pushed through the crowd to warm himself next to the woodstove. He blew on his hands and held them over the stove's glowing-red surface as he blinked unbelievingly at the sight of the child in Angeline's arms, finding himself just as confused as everyone else in the room.

"We don't know," Ophelia drawled, "We found him out front, sleeping under the bench."

"We were waiting for the sheriff to get here to ask what to do about _her_," Angeline said quietly, gently rocking the sleeping child. "She hasn't woke up. I hope she's not sick."

"Maybe we ought to get her to Doc Amos just to be sure," The last thing Judd Weaver wanted was to be responsible for a lost child, and a sick one at that. Figures, he thought, this couldn't have happened on a night when Cooper made rounds.

* * *

"Doc's not here. He's been out at Will Early's ranch all day. Will's wife's baby's coming." Lucie met Angeline and Weaver at Doc Amos' office. She had spent a great deal of time at Doc's office while she was recovering from the severe burns she'd suffered at the hands of one of the outlaws that had taken her, Angeline, Ophelia, and Cooper and Weaver's wives, Althea and Lily, hostage after Weaver and Lily's wedding three months before. While Lucie's burns were healing, she kept boredom at bay by studying Doc's medical books. To Doc's surprise, she was a fast learner and had become a huge help to him in his office. She had also decided that she wasn't going back to the saloon once Doc pronounced her healed. Instead, she decided she would stay and help Doc and perhaps become a midwife. It seemed ridiculous to her that Doc would spend long hours away from his office waiting for women to deliver their babies when she could help out and he could be in the office using that time to treat others who needed his services.

"We found this little one outside the saloon," Angeline carefully unwrapped the child who stirred but went back to sleep. "It's so cold out and all she had on was a long shirt. I'm afraid she's sick."

"Here," Lucie motioned to a bed in Doc's examination room. "Set her here and let me have a look at her. I don't know what I can do, but we can keep her here until Doc gets back."

Lucie checked over the child. "Poor little lamb," she clucked. "Wonder where she came from?" Lucie looked up at Weaver questioningly.

"I've never seen her before. I don't think she belongs to anyone in town," Weaver replied.

"Well, somebody must be missing the wee one." Lucie continued to check the child over. "Poor thing, her toes are all frostbit. And her fingers, too. She's been out in the cold awhile." Lucie motioned to the basin and pitcher on the sideboard on the other side of the room. "Heat some water for me, would you? And grab me a towel over there."

Angeline obeyed and within minutes, Lucie was bathing the child's fingers and toes with warm water. Before long, the child stirred and coughed. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she stared around the room, looking hard at Angeline, Weaver. When she saw Lucie, her eyes grew wide and round and she recoiled with fear.

"I know, I know, little one. It's okay. I'm not pretty, but I'm not going to hurt you, either. I had a bad accident. That's why my face looks this way and that's why I don't have no hair on the side of my head. But Doc says I'm getting better and I'll be pretty again someday real soon. You don't have to be afraid of me, I promise," Lucie soothed, noticing the child's reaction.

The child seemed to settle, wincing as Lucie gently rubbed at her hands and feet, trying to bring the warmth and circulation back to the child's fingers and toes.

"Are you starting to warm up, love?" Lucie asked. "Do you think you could drink some tea or eat something?"

The child yawned and nestled into the quilt that Lucie had tucked around her.

"Can you talk, little girl? What's your name?" Weaver asked, stepping up to the child's bedside. "Where are your folks?" The child coughed again, a hard, pained cough that seemed to come from her very center, and pointed out the window.

"Out there?" Weaver asked.

The child nodded slowly in reply.

"There's nothin' out there but prairie," Angeline whispered hoarsely. "Are you from out on the prairie, sweetheart?" she asked tentatively.

The child looked up at Weaver, Angeline, and Lucy with big, dark eyes and then looked out the window where snowflakes the size of goose feathers were drifting from the sky. She nodded and pointed out the window again in response. A fit of coughing overcame her and Lucie sat her up and patted her on the back, whispering soft, soothing words until the child's coughing subsided.

"Damn," Judd Weaver hissed, putting on his hat and pulling the collar of his coat high around his neck to ward off the cold he knew was waiting on the other side of the door. "I better go get Cooper."


	2. Chapter 2

Hayes Cooper and Judd Weaver saddled their horses and steeled themselves against the stiff wind that had blown the storm through the night before. After much reason, and most of it Cooper's, they decided to ride west to see if they could find where the little girl had come from.

Cooper couldn't recall any families living out in the prairie that had a little blond-haired girl around five or six years old. He reasoned that perhaps her family was living at Fort Concho and she had wandered off.

"But Fort Concho is easily twenty-five miles from here, Cooper," Weaver pointed out. "There is no way a child that small could have made a trip that far on her own."

"Maybe her family was on their way to the fort and something happened," Cooper countered. "All I know is that there are no families I know of with little girls out on the prairie. Her family could have the Army looking for her. We'll ride out that way and see. If we see any soldiers, we'll give them the word that the little girl is in town and she's safe. If we don't find anything, we'll look in another direction."

"Seems like a whole lot of riding around on the prairie in the cold if you ask me," Weaver groused.

"Maybe," Cooper replied gruffly, "but little girls just don't appear in town on the coldest night of the year out of nowhere."

The sheriff and deputy rode in silence for several miles. The tall prairie grass around them was bent and bowed by the previous night's snow and everything was dusted in the white powder that blew around them, stinging their eyes and faces. The usual landscape of what seemed like an unending sea of tall green and gold grasses felt even more desolate under the thin blanket of white with the wind's constant cry the only sound to be heard.

Weaver squinted hard to try to keep the blowing snow out of his ice-blue eyes. The wind and cold were making his eyes burn and water and it was getting hard to see where he was going. He was just about to mention how thankful he was that his horse had better eyesight in the miserable weather than he did when a hazy gray mist several hundred yards ahead broke landscape's monotone white. Weaver squinted harder, trying to be sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.

"Cooper, do you see that?" he called over the wind, "Out there, that gray. Is that smoke?"

Cooper raised his hand to shield his eyes from the wind and stared the direction Weaver was pointing. Just the barest mist of gray curled into the sky and then disappeared, blown away by the persistent wind.

"Could be," Cooper called back, spurring his horse and bowing his head as his horse broke into a run. "Let's go take a look!" His words were carried away by the wind, but Weaver was right behind him, racing toward the faint gray plumes far across the prairie.

* * *

"I need three yards of the dark green calico, please. No, the darker. Yes, that one," Althea Cooper turned her attention back to her friend Lily Weaver as they walked through the general store, looking at the displays. Althea was picking out fabric to make Jane a new dress and bonnet for Christmas. Jane toddled along beside her, holding her mother's hand and looking around in awe at all the wonderful things the store had to offer.

"What else did he say?" she asked.

"Well, not much, other than the poor little thing's fingers and toes were all frostbitten and she had a terrible cough. And they don't think she can talk, either," Lily replied, filling Althea in on what her husband had told her about the little girl who had mysteriously shown up outside the Red Ox saloon the night before.

"Oh, how awful!" Althea raised her hand to her mouth in reflex. "Just the calico, that ribbon, and these buttons, please. That'll be all today."

"We could always pop in on Lucie and ask how she's doing," Lily said, a slow smile crossing her face as she eyed a display of jars full of candy. She produced a nickel from the drawstring sateen bag hanging from her wrist and watched as the storekeeper filled a small paper sack with a variety of the sweet treats. Althea gave her a questioning look.

"Have you ever known a child who didn't like candy?" Lily laughed. "And if she doesn't, I know Lucie does!"

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Cooper reined his horse to a stop just short of a makeshift campsite that consisted of nothing more than a campfire and a covered wagon. A team of mules stood off to the side, nosing their way through the dusting of snow to find some sweetgrass to eat. Weaver pulled his horse up to a stop just behind him.

"Doesn't look like there's anyone around," he mused as he dismounted and followed Cooper to the wagon.

The wagon itself had seen better days. The cloth canopy was tattered in spots where it was stretched over the wagon's bows. Close to the wagon, a campfire was smoldering. Weaver walked over to it and poked at it with the toe of his boot. The remains of what looked to be a rocking chair crumbled into the red coals that briefly flamed to life in the wind. A broken trunk lay next to the fire, part of its lid charred.

"Bad day for a campfire," Weaver muttered, attempting to kick snow over the smoldering remains and stomping out the few red coals that were struggling to flame to life in the gusty wind. At the very edge of the pile of ash and coals, the pages of a book fluttered open in the stiff breeze. The rustling noise they made caught Weaver's attention and he bent to retrieve the book from the edge of the ashes.

"Cooper, look at this. They tried burning their Bible."

Cooper had climbed up onto the seat of the wagon and peered inside. A man and woman were huddled under blankets. The woman shivered in her sleep, clutching a baby no more than a few months old. Cooper could see that the baby was dead, its lips blue and its breathing stilled; long baby lashes curled onto its waxy-pale cheeks. The man looked up at Cooper, his eyes dull, a sheen of sweat over his face.

"Help," he rasped in a voice so weak that Cooper could barely hear him over his own breathing. "Help us, please."

"Weaver? Weaver! Come here!" Cooper called into the wind.

Weaver appeared around the side of the wagon, still holding the charred Bible. "Looks like they were burning their belongings to stay warm. I don't understand it. The team looks okay and the wagon doesn't seem to be broke down –"

"They're sick," Cooper said matter-of-factly. "We need to get them into town to the doc."

"Doc's probably not back in town yet. He was over at the Early place last night waiting for Will Early's wife to deliver her baby," Weaver reminded his boss.

Cooper let out an irritated sigh. "I'll get the wagon back to town. You ride over to the Earlys' and tell Doc we have trouble waiting on him when he gets back. Hopefully by now Ruth's had that baby. But tell Doc he's got to get to town."

* * *

Lucie answered the knock at Doctor Amos' door and was surprised to see Lily and Althea waiting on the doorstep.

"Good morning Miss Althea, Boss Lady!" Lucie greeted the two women warmly and invited them in to Doc Amos' office. "Doc's not here if you're wanting to see him. I 'spect he'll be back soon, though."

"Oh, no, Lucie," Lily interrupted. "We heard you had a guest and just stopped to see how she was doing. I brought her something." Lily held up the paper sack of candy.

"Oh, yes," Lucie smiled. "The wee child. She's in here. She was sleeping, but that cough! Dear heavens, it's awful. It's a wonder the poor baby got any rest last night."

Lily and Althea peeked into the room where the little girl lay under a pile of quilts, her eyes closed, long lashes fanned over flushed cheeks.

"Such a tiny little thing," Althea whispered. "Wonder where she came from?"

"I wish I knew," Lucie replied. "Her ma and pa must be missing her. But when Judd asked where she came from, she just pointed out the window toward the prairie. That's an awfully big and lonely place to be from when you're just a tiny little lamb." Lucie's voice was wistful.

"Has she said anything at all? Judd said he didn't think she could talk," Lily asked.

"Not a single word," Lucie replied sadly. "Makes it all the sadder, doesn't it? A little lost child who can't even say who she is or where she came from."

Lily thought about how terribly sad it was, indeed, and was suddenly overcome by emotion. Tears filled her deep brown eyes and before she could stop it, a loud sob escaped her. She dug frantically in her reticule for her handkerchief and dabbed roughly at her eyes before giving in to the sudden rush of tears. Jane looked up from the stack of books piled next to Doc Amos's desk that had caught her attention and let out a loud cry in sympathy.

"Oh, Lily! My goodness, what's wrong?" Althea asked as she and Lucie both wrapped arms around their friend in an attempt to console her.

"It's all… It's just… Just so, so sad…The poor little thing," Lily managed to choke out between sobs. "I just… can't…can't bear the thought." Lily dissolved into tears as her friends exchanged puzzled looks.

"Lily, it's all right! She'll be right as rain before you know it," Lucie soothed, confused by her normally unshakable friend's sudden tearful outburst.

"But the thought of her all alone," Lily began, setting off a new wave of tears.

"Cooper and Judd are looking for her ma and pa right now," Althea reassured her as she gathered Jane and readjusted the child's bonnet in preparation to leave. "She must have just wandered away from them and got lost in the dark last night. They'll find her folks and get her back to them in no time. Come on, now, Lily. How about we get back home and get you a cup of tea. It's about time for Jane's nap anyhow."

Lily nodded, suddenly embarrassed over her sudden tearful outburst. She dried her eyes and dabbed at her nose. "You'll let us know how she's doing, won't you?" she asked Lucie, not really sure why it was so important to her to know.

"Of course I will, Boss Lady, but I can tell you this little girl will be just fine once we get her back home."

* * *

"You just bring them right in here," Doc Amos ordered, ushering Cooper and Weaver into his office with the man and woman they found in the covered wagon on the prairie and motioning them to two empty beds.

"Lucie, get some water, we need to get their fevers down," the gray-haired and bespectacled doctor barked and Lucie moved quickly around the room, turning down bed linens and grabbing a pitcher to retrieve water from the pump just outside the back door.

Doc Amos looked into the bed of the covered wagon and saw the lifeless form of an infant wrapped in a quilt. He clucked to himself and motioned to Weaver.

"Get the baby over to the undertaker. Wish we had a name, but this is the best we can do for now."

The doctor stopped just outside the door of the room where the little girl lay, her tiny figure dwarfed by the huge bed.

"Is this the child they found last night?" the doctor asked.

Lucie nodded in confirmation as she returned with a pitcher of water. Doc Amos stepped into the room and placed a hand on the child's forehead to feel for a fever. The child coughed in response, a deep, hard cough that sounded to the wise old doctor like it should hurt. He tucked his stethoscope into his ears and raised the opposite end to listen to the child's chest. Upon seeing the strange new contraption, the child shied away, burrowing deeper under the quilts that covered her.

"This won't hurt a bit," Doc Amos reassured. "This will let me listen to your heart and lungs." He removed the stethoscope from his ears and held it out to the child. "Here, do you want to take a listen?"

The child looked at him and the strange but interesting object in his hands and shyly nodded. The doctor placed the stethoscope in her ears and held the bell over her chest. A slow smile replaced the puzzled look on the tiny girl's face.

"That's your heartbeat," the doctor explained. He then held the bell over his own chest. "And this is my heartbeat. Now what do you think of that?" The child's face lit up with a big smile.

"Now, can I have a listen?" Doc Amos asked, taking back the stethoscope and listening to the child's heart and lungs for himself. "Hmmm," he mused. "Yep, yep. Oh, no. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone of your heart's desires. That's our little secret!" He laughed as the little girl smiled again. He noted that her heartbeat sounded strong and her lungs seemed clear and that the cough she had seemed to have been a product of her long night out in the cold air. He tucked the quilts around her.

"I think you'll be just fine in no time, sweetheart. You just keep listening to Miss Lucie and we'll have you back home before you know it. Just in time for Old Saint Nick to pay you a visit!"


	3. Chapter 3

"It sure is a cold one out there," Judd Weaver announced as he came through the kitchen door of the house he shared with his wife. He crossed the room to the wood stove, unbuttoning his coat and holding his hands over the welcome heat of the cast iron stove, warming away the chill that seemed to penetrate right to his bones.

"Judd, the floor," Lily wrinkled her nose as she noticed the trails of muddy water that were beginning to melt off her husband's boots.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Judd looked down at the floor and saw the snow and ice melting off his boots. "I just have to warm up. That wind was something fierce today."

"Well, then," Lily replied, standing on tiptoe to curl her arms around her husband's neck. "Let me see what I can do about that." She pressed against him, tilting her head up to plant the first of several teasing kisses along his neck. Judd shivered, but not from the chill he had been trying to warm away.

Before Judd could respond to Lily's kisses, she pulled away. "Supper's almost ready, I don't want it to burn."

Judd took a deep breath, taking in the kitchen's aromas. "Mmm, Lily, something smells wonderful."

Lily squeezed between her husband and the wood stove and produced a pan of fried chicken and another pan of biscuits. Judd reached for one of the biscuits as she carried the pan to the table.

"If you give me just a second, I'll put these on the table and get the gravy to go with them," Lily feigned annoyance as she pulled the hot pan away. Truth was, Lily was pleased. She never claimed to be a wonderful cook, so every time Judd stole tastes of her cooking, Lily teased him by acting annoyed, but she was actually elated.

"Gravy, too? That'll hit the spot! You must have worked all day," Judd wrapped his arms around Lily's slim waist and planted a kiss on her lips. She could taste the salt from the biscuit he had just taken a bite of.

"Well, not all day. Althea and I dropped in on Lucie. We wanted to see how that poor little girl was doing. Did you find her parents?"

"We found a family in a wagon out on the prairie. Don't know if they're her family or not, though," Judd filled his plate with chicken and biscuits and topped everything with the steaming gravy. He took a bite and chewed thoughtfully before speaking again.

"They were all sick. The man and woman. They had a baby with them, but it died."

Lily glanced up, a look of horror in her eyes. "The baby died? How awful, Judd! What were they doing out on the prairie anyhow?"

"Traveling, I guess. They were in a covered wagon. They were burning everything they had to keep warm. I guess they'd been sick awhile. That reminds me," Judd got up from the table and dug through the saddle bag he had dropped next to the door when he had come home. "They had this. They tried to burn it, but I pulled it out of the fire. It's mostly intact." He set the charred bible on the edge of the table.

"Maybe there's something in there that'll tell us who they are."

* * *

Lily fell into a fitful sleep that night even though she was wrapped in Judd's strong arms. She dreamed she was following a little girl across the prairie until she realized she was lost. She saw something blowing in the wind and when she finally came to it, it was the edge of a blanket wrapped around the corpse of a dead infant. She woke with a start, sitting up in bed and staring wildly around the room until she realized where she was.

The next morning, the smell of coffee awakened her. She opened her eyes to find that Judd was already dressed and downstairs. He had stoked the fire in the wood stove and had put a pot of coffee on to brew. Lily dressed quickly, fumbling with the buttons on her blouse that for some reason seemed a bit too snug. No more biscuits for me, she thought as she sucked in her stomach to fasten her skirt. She found her husband sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. He was slathering honey on a biscuit left over from last night's dinner.

"Good morning," Judd got up from the table to greet Lily with a lingering kiss that left her feeling a little dizzy.

"Judd, why didn't you wake me? I'll make breakfast. Some eggs? I'll make some eggs." Lily rushed around the kitchen, checking for eggs in the basket on her work table, grabbing a skillet.

"Lily," Judd stopped his wife in mid-flight. "Biscuits and honey are fine. I didn't wake you because I know you didn't sleep well. You were fussing and talking in your sleep all night. I wanted you to get your rest. I survived on far less than this back in the war and I'll be fine, I promise. But I could use a bit more coffee."

Lily poured him another cup of the strongly-brewed coffee. When she sat the coffee pot back on the wood stove, the aroma hit her, causing her stomach to roil. She ran to the kitchen door, flinging it open and welcoming the blast of cold air that enveloped her. She perched on the top step outside the door and leaned over the railing, dry heaving until her stomach muscles ached and then rested her petite body against the door jamb, allowing the cold December air to wash over her until she felt better.

Judd was beside her in moments, his arms wrapped protectively around her. "Lily, are you okay?"

"I'm better now," she replied, pushing the door shut against the chill. "Must have been the heat from the stove or having an empty stomach or something. I just felt a little queasy all of a sudden."

Judd looked concerned. It wasn't like Lily to have such a weak constitution. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Lily replied. "Between the heat from the stove and having an empty stomach and not sleeping well, I just felt a little nauseous." She picked up one of the biscuits from last night's dinner and nibbled at it. "Once I get something to eat, I'm sure I'll feel good as new."

"All right, then. I need to get over to the jail. If you don't feel well, promise me you won't overdo things and that you'll try to rest," Judd wasn't convinced with Lily's explanation.

"I promise," Lily stood on tiptoe to kiss her husband, helping him to pull his coat on and button it up against the winter chill that awaited him.

After he left, Lily sat at the table, finishing her biscuit. The charred Bible Judd had brought home the day before caught her eye. She picked it up and thumbed through it, brushing away the bits of ash and burnt paper that fell to the table. A page with a list of names neatly written in ink caught her eye and she stopped to read down the list. The soot and charring from the fire cut off some of the words and made some of the writing illegible, but the names were clear enough.

_Daniel Lane Carey b. Jan _

_Susannah Rose Carey, nee Fau _

_Married May 14, 187_

_Abigail Ellen Carey, b. March 16, 1876_

_Alice Marie Carey, b. April 25, 1881_

Lily pursed her lips in thought. Judd said there was a man, woman, and a baby in that covered wagon, but he didn't say anything about a five year-old girl. The girl that was found outside the saloon appeared to be around five or six. Lily quickly pulled on her woolen cloak and gloves and gathered the Bible. She needed to share what she found with her best friend, Althea Cooper.

* * *

"I just love a good mystery!" Althea chirped after Lily quickly filled her in on what she found in the charred Bible. "Do you think the little girl at Doc Amos' is Abigail?"

Lily warmed herself by Althea's crackling woodstove for a moment before sitting down at Althea's kitchen table where a cup of hot tea was waiting for her. On a quilt on the floor next to the table, Baby Jane babbled to a rag doll Althea had made for her from scraps of fabric.

"It almost seems like it," Lily replied. "Judd said they found a man, woman, and a baby in the wagon. He never mentioned a little girl. And the little girl matches the age of the little girl listed in the Bible. Look." Lily opened the Bible to the list of names and birth dates.

"Five, going on six years old," Althea mused. "That is about how old I would have guessed that child to be."

"Me too. But just what were they doing traveling in a covered wagon this time of year?" Lily wondered aloud.

"Goodness knows," Althea replied. She carefully slid the charred book across the table and began leafing through the pages. As she did, a folded piece of paper fluttered out.

"What's this?" Althea picked up the delicate paper and unfolded it. The thin paper looked worn and the ink was water-spotted in places and a top corner of the page was torn away. "Why, Lily! It's a letter!"

_My dearest Susannah, _

_Our journey here has not been without its trials, but we have finally arrived. Our Father has provided well for us and the land He has given us is beautiful beyond compare. While we have lost a few of our faithful, life has renewed itself in many ways. New babies, new homes, new farms, and a new church led by John Mason. We are putting down our roots, he says, just as He has intended. _

_If you and Daniel still plan to join us here in our new home, the southerly route will be best. They call it Paradise Trail. It won't be an easy trip, but the weather is usually pleasant, although hot and the people you meet along the way mostly welcoming and helpful. I know it takes time to plan for such a long journey and I can relate to your worries about preparing for the trip, but I also understand Daniel's wanting and needing to leave as soon as possible. _

_Be careful, dear cousin, and may God keep you safe in His hand until you are here with us in our new home. And do remember, the Lord our Father forgives and welcomes all who believe. _

_All my best, _

_Elisabeth _

Lily had been listening intently as Althea read the letter. "My goodness, Althea! Why would they travel anywhere this time of year, especially with a baby and a little child?"

"I don't know," Althea replied. "She said they wanted and needed to leave as soon as possible. Why on earth would that be? And I wonder what she was referring to when she wrote that the Lord forgives and welcomes all who believe. There has to be a story behind that."

"I know. And we are just the two to figure it out," Lily smiled, her dark eyes sparkling at the thought of unraveling one more part of the mystery the charred Bible held. She stood and bundled into her woolen cloak.

"Lily, where are you going? You and Judd are having supper with us tonight, aren't you?" Althea asked, puzzled.

"Of course, Althea! But right now, I'm going to try to solve the first little part of our mystery. I'm going over to Doc Amos's to see how that little girl is doing and find out if she is Abigail." Lily ducked out the door and into the cold December air, leaving Althea behind to smile and shake her head at her friend's determination.

* * *

Althea found Lucie trying to coax the little girl into eating a spoonful of soup. Doc Amos was out checking on a patient.

"Please, honey, just a little taste for Lucie? One spoonful?" The little girl sat propped up with pillows, tight-lipped, but smiling.

"How's she feeling?" Lily asked, making Lily jump and spill the spoonful of soup on the quilt that covered the child's legs. The child's eyes flew open wide in surprise. Ma wouldn't have liked a mess like that on her quilts, nor would she have been happy about the wasted food. She looked at Lucie in horror, waiting for the lecture that she was sure to follow.

"Oh, bless me," Lucie blotted away the spilled soup with a rag and, much to the child's surprise, turned her attention away from the soup and any following lecture. "She's doing fine, just being contrary and not wantin' to eat for me, but other than that, she's fine."

"I think I might have solved the mystery of where she came from," Lily said with a smile. She turned her attention to the little girl.

"Honey, is your name Abigail? Abigail Carey?"

The little girl's eyes lit up and she nodded.

Lily continued. "You were traveling in a wagon with your ma and pa and baby sister. You were going to a place called Paradise Valley? Your ma and pa and sister got really sick."

Abigail nodded enthusiastically.

"Did you leave the wagon to get help for your family?" Lily asked.

Lucie reached for Lily's arm and gave her wrist a tight squeeze, giving her a warning glance as well. Abigail didn't know the condition of her parents and Lucie didn't think it was their place to give her any news, at least not without Doc Amos there to explain things.

Lily understood Lucie's unspoken warning. "Abigail, my husband is the deputy sheriff. He's the one who brought you here to see Doc Amos. He and the sheriff are doing everything they can to help your ma and pa and baby sister, so don't you worry. You just work on getting better, okay? And that means eating Miss Lucie's soup so you can get nice and strong."

Abigail nodded and turned her attention back to Lucie, pointing to the steaming bowl of soup.

"Let me walk Miss Lily out and we'll work on this soup," Lucie followed Lily out of the room.

"Well, I'll be," Lucie laughed, cornering her friend to question her. "You are a regular silver-tongued she-devil, Boss Lady! Where did you learn to talk to a child like that?"

"No idea," Lily replied. "The words just came out. Judd found a Bible at the wagon where he and Sheriff Cooper found Abigail's family yesterday. They were burning their belongings to stay warm. The Bible is all charred, but Althea and I looked through it and found some information. The man and woman they brought back, their names are Daniel and Susannah Carey. There was a baby named Alice, just a few months old. Judd said she died. They were traveling to Paradise Valley. We found the most peculiar letter from Susannah's cousin. Seems maybe they had to leave quickly." Lily told her what the letter said and the lines that had piqued both her and Althea's curiosity.

"Interestin'," Lucie responded after Lily had filled her in on the Careys' story. "Unfortunately, I don't know that they'll make it to Paradise Valley."

"Oh, no, Lucie! Why?"

"They're both real bad, Lily. Doc doesn't think Susannah will make it to tomorrow morning, and Daniel seems to be getting worse. And that poor baby. I just feel awful every time I think about her," Lucie explained sorrowfully.

"Oh, Lucie! Does Doc know what's wrong with them?"

"He's not sure, Lily, but he's suspectin' scarlet fever." The look on Lucie's face was as ominous as the tone of her voice.


	4. Chapter 4

"Paradise Trail," Hayes Cooper mused, folding up the letter and handing it back to Althea. "I remember that."

"You do?" Lily leaned in, intrigued. She and Judd had joined the Coopers for supper that evening and Lily and Althea had been excited to share what they'd found in the partially-burned Bible.

"I do," Cooper continued. "Years ago, before I became a Texas Ranger, I was a bounty hunter. I came across a wagon train that was traveling west on the Paradise Trail to Paradise Valley. They were a religious group, led by a man named Mason. John Mason."

Althea's eyes lit up. "Could it be the same John Mason?"

"It very well could be," Cooper replied. "If so, I'm glad to hear they made it to Paradise Valley. I didn't expect they'd have any trouble after we'd taken care of the Tarpin gang, but they lost their wagon master in the process and had to make the rest of the trip on their own," He related the story of how he came across the group of travelers, the problems they had with the Tarpins, and how Sam Brazos was killed in the shootout that had also taken out the Tarpin brothers.

"Sam Brazos," Judd said thoughtfully. "I remember that name from during the war. One of the generals used to talk about what a great scout he was."

"He was right. Brazos was one of the best I ever met," Cooper said. "Damn shame that he got killed, but leading wagon trains is dangerous work. Which brings me to the Careys. Why would they attempt that trip this time of year?"

"That letter makes it sound like they needed to leave wherever they were in a hurry," Althea reminded the group of friends. "And the letter mentioned forgiveness. Do you think he may have been wanted by the law?" She bent to scoop an impatient Jane up into her lap.

"The name doesn't sound familiar, but we can look into that," Cooper replied. "Has anyone heard how the Careys are doing?"

"I talked to Lucie when I stopped by to find out if the little girl from the saloon was Abigail," Lily spoke up. "She said they're not doing well at all. Doc doesn't expect Mrs. Carey to make it through the night, and Mr. Carey seems to be getting worse. Doc suspects it's scarlet fever. Funny, though, Abigail seems fine."

"Goodness," Althea sighed, pausing to send up a silent prayer for healing for the travelers. She gave Lily an anxious look. The danger of scarlet fever was not lost on her, and both of their husbands had been in close contact with the Careys. Althea quickly said another silent prayer.

"What will happen to Abigail," Lily asked, "If, heaven forbid, something happens to both her parents?"

"We could try to find out who this Elisabeth is that wrote the letter and get Abigail to her," Cooper said.

"But we have no idea how long ago that letter was written. If there was a date on it, it must have been on the corner of the page that was torn. You even said yourself it was years ago that you'd met up with these people, back before you were a Ranger. How long ago was that, Cooper?" Althea asked indignantly. "We have no idea if Elisabeth is even alive or still in Paradise Valley. John Mason and his people could have all moved on. We don't even know for sure if that's where the Careys were traveling to."

"You're right," Cooper replied. "We don't. But it would be a start."

"We could write a letter to Elisabeth in care of John Mason in Paradise Valley. If she's still there, if they are still there, surely he'd get it to her," Althea offered.

"And if they're not and we can't find Elisabeth?" Lily asked.

"Sad to say," Judd answered solemnly, "If we can't find her or any other relatives, Abigail will likely end up in an orphan's home."

* * *

Lily was quiet as she undressed and got ready for bed that evening. She blew out the oil lamp and tucked herself under the quilt and into her husband's arms.

"Are you okay," Judd asked, brushing Lily's dark hair away from her face so he could see her eyes.

"I'm fine, why?"

"You're awfully quiet, and I've learned that if you're quiet, Lily, you're either upset with me for something I did or something is bothering you. I'm pretty sure I haven't done anything wrong."

Lily laughed. "Oh, Judd, of course you didn't do anything wrong! I'm just tired, that's all."

Judd raised himself on one elbow, suddenly concerned.

"Are you sure you're okay? This doesn't have anything to do with you feeling ill this morning does it?"

"Judd, I'm fine! I'm just -" Lily sat up and wrapped her arms around Judd's neck. "I just can't bear the thought of that little girl going to live in an orphan's home. Every time I think about it, I just want to cry."

"Then we should hope and pray that her ma and pa both get better," Judd silenced any further discussion from Lily with a long, lingering kiss, sliding his hand underneath her chemise and finding the soft curve of her waist. Lily sighed. In moments, all she could concentrate on was the feel of Judd's warm skin against hers, their hearts and bodies tangled together.

* * *

Susannah Carey passed away quietly in her sleep, sometime before dawn. Doc Amos was listening for any sign of a heartbeat when her last, weak breath left her body. Doc was no stranger to the ebb and flow of life, whether it was by natural or unnatural causes, yet death always left him in a state of somber self-reflection that lasted for days. He weighed the idea of telling her husband. Since the Careys had been brought in from the prairie, Daniel had teetered precariously between a state of delirium where he gibbered non-stop about how he had done nothing wrong and one where he grew so still and quiet that Doc was certain that he, too had passed on to his heavenly reward.

Abigail was on the mend and eager to be out of the confines of her sick bed. The deep, rattling cough, the only reminder of her long night alone on the cold, dark prairie, had mostly subsided and her strength had begun to return. She was ready to leave Doc and Lucie's care, only Doc had nowhere to send her.

"He just doesn't know what to do with her," Lucie fretted as she waited with Lily outside the general store for the stagecoach driver to unload packages they'd been waiting on to come in from Dallas. Lucie stamped her feet to warm them in the chilly air. She couldn't remember a cold snap that had lasted so long. "We can't keep her at Doc's, it's just no place for a little child. I thought about the boarding house, but with the cowboys in and out of there all the time, that's just no good, either. I hate to ask somebody to take on another mouth to feed, even though she's no bigger than a minute and barely eats a thing."

"It doesn't help that she doesn't talk, either," Lily added in sympathy, leaning against the outside wall of the general store to wait out a wave of dizziness, the second one that morning. At least this one didn't come with the nausea that the first spell brought. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a couple of deep breaths until the dizziness passed and then continued to speak.

"The poor little thing. I wish I had an answer for you." While Lily was speaking, a thought crossed her mind. She gathered her package from the stage driver and excused herself.

"Lucie, I'll talk to you later. I forgot, Judd needed me to stop by the jail this afternoon."

* * *

"We have plenty of room, Judd, and they just don't know what else do with her. It would only be until her father got better and could take charge of her again." Lily had gone to the jail to talk to her husband and explain the predicament Doc and Lucie were in with Abigail.

"Lily, I don't know anything about little kids, especially little girls, and she can't even talk. How are we going to take care of her when she can't tell us what she needs?" Judd countered.

"We'll figure it out, Judd!"

"What about the boarding house? Mrs. Greeley had about a dozen kids of her own. Maybe she has a room she can spare," Judd offered

"You may as well just take her to the saloon, what with all the cowboys that stay at the boarding house. That's no place to send a little girl. Judd, please?" Lily pleaded. "We can do this, I know we can! And it'll be just for a little while until her father gets better."

Judd took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew that once Lily made her mind up about something, there was no sense in arguing with her over it. Abigail was going to stay with them whether he liked the idea or not. Truth was, he really wasn't opposed to the idea. Nervous, yes. He had no idea what to do with a little girl, especially one who couldn't speak. He knew Lily was right, though: they'd figure it out.

"Alright, Lily, she can stay with us. But one question. What happens if her father doesn't get better?" Judd asked.

"We'll worry about that if and when we have that problem to worry about," Lily replied between squeals of delight as she threw her arms around her husband's neck and planted a grateful kiss on his lips.

* * *

It had been a long, cold ride from Dallas to the little nowhere town of Bovine on the stagecoach and that was where the trail had gone cold. The stranger stepped down from the coach and searched the town. There wasn't much to see. The requisite saloon, a church, a general store, a bank, a feed store and livery stable, and a handful of houses stood steadfast against what seemed like a never-ending wind that blew in from the stark prairie that surrounded it on all sides. The town was busy with people, mostly cowboys as it was a cattle town, but the stranger didn't see what he was looking for.

He wasn't looking that hard, though. What he was really looking for at the moment was a place to warm up. A hot meal and a cup of coffee would do him well, and then he'd do as he did on all the other stops on his way here: casually ask a few questions that would point him on the way to his next destination. His cold, dark eyes scanned up and down the street as he walked.

"Mmmph." The startled noise brought the stranger back to reality.

"Oh, ma'am, I do apologize!" He extended a hand to help Lily back to her feet. "I am so sorry. I wasn't paying a lick of attention to where I was going. You aren't hurt are you? Or your little girl?"

Lily brushed herself off with one hand, the other hand still firmly held by Abigail who had remained upright through the accidental collision.

"Oh, not a worry, sir, I'm fine. We're both fine," Lily replied.

"Glad to hear. I will pay better attention to where I'm going next time. Tell me, where can a person get a bite to eat in this town?" the stranger asked, smiling as warmly as he could. Abigail tucked herself tightly against Lily's skirt. Something about the man's smile bothered her.

"The café is just down the street," Lily gestured. "The whitewashed building with the shutters. Miss Minnie serves the most delicious meals. You won't leave disappointed. Or hungry," Lily offered.

"I do thank you, ma'am," the stranger tipped his hat to Lily. "And again, I am so sorry for knocking you over. " He dug in his pocket and produced a shiny silver nickel, which he handed to Abigail. "For all your trouble, miss, maybe your ma will take you to the general store and let you buy some candy?"

Abigail warily took the nickel and nodded shyly.

"That's very kind," Lily smiled. Noticing the man's questioning look at Abigail and guessing it was due to her lack of response, Lily explained, "She can't speak, but she and I both thank you very much. Enjoy your supper!"

The stranger tipped his hat again as Lily and Abigail quickly walked away. Could it be, he wondered. He recalled the tiny infant back in Kentucky who didn't so much as cry. He ticked off the years on his fingers and roughly guessed at Abigail's age. Could she be the same child? Certainly the dark-haired woman she was with wasn't her ma; they looked nothing alike. No, the child was fair and blond, much like his beloved Susannah.

* * *

Doc and the lady named Lucie had explained to Abigail that morning what had happened to Ma and Baby Alice. They were really sick. There was nothing anyone could do to help them. The angels came and took them to heaven. Abigail sat and listened carefully to what they said, blinking slowly as she tried to understand. Pa was very sick, too, but he was still alive. He was there at Doc's office, but he was sleeping. They let her look in on him but didn't let her get too close. Doc wasn't sure why she didn't have scarlet fever like Ma and Pa and Baby Alice did, but he didn't want her to risk catching it, too.

Doc also explained that since she was better, Abigail was going to have to stay somewhere else. She looked from Doc to Lucie in confusion and horror. She pointed frantically to Lucie, then to herself, and back to Lucie.

"I wish you could stay with me, lamb, but I ain't got a home. I stay here and take care of sick folk for Doc," Lucie lamented.

"Don't you fret none, little lady," Doc smiled. "We found you a wonderful place to stay." He told her about Miss Lily and the deputy. Abigail remembered the names. Miss Lily was the nice lady who said her husband was looking for her ma and pa, the one who told her to listen to Miss Lucie and eat her soup so she'd get nice and strong. Abigail liked her. She didn't remember the deputy much, but if he found her ma and pa, she thought he might be a good person too.

While Abigail was remembering who Miss Lily was, she came to Doc's to collect Abigail. Lily had remembered what Judd had told her about how Abigail had been dressed the night she was found and had dropped by the general store. There wasn't much in the way of dresses for little girls, but she found one that would work, a light blue calico dress that ended up being a bit too big. Lily had also found shoes and a woolen cloak similar to the one she wore, plus a pretty bonnet and some hair ribbons. Abigail had never owned a store-bought dress before and she felt like royalty all dressed up in her new clothes. Miss Lily had taken her to a dressmaker in town and had requested another few dresses be made for her. It was on the way to the dressmaker that they had run into the man.

He had just gotten off the stagecoach and was looking around the town, not watching where he was going. Abigail was looking around the town, too, amazed at all the things she saw. The man bumped into Miss Lily and knocked her over. He seemed kind enough as he helped her up and apologized, but something about him seemed oddly out of place to Abigail. There was a distance and coldness to him and he had eyes that seemed to look right through people. Abigail was certain that he was not a good man and she huddled close to Lily, making herself as small as she could so he wouldn't notice her. He did notice her, though, and handed her a shiny new nickel, grinning at her with sharp, white teeth when he did. It seemed as if he knew her, Abigail thought, though she had no idea how. She had never seen him before, yet she felt as if she should know him, too, and it was not a welcome sense of familiarity.

* * *

Miss Lily's house was warm and inviting. A fire crackled in the potbellied cookstove in the kitchen and before long, Lily had something bubbling in a pot on top of that stove that smelled delicious. She showed Abigail to a room with a cozy feather bed and brass headboard that Lily said was her room. Abigail just stared at the bed in awe. She wanted to dive into it and sink into its fluffiness; never had she seen such luxury. Back home in Kentucky, all she had was a small cot with a quilt and a pillow that was stuffed with feathers from the chickens Ma kept in the yard. It was enough, but it was nothing like the huge brass bed at Miss Lily's house.

Just before Lily put supper on the table, a tall man with long, blond hair came home. Abigail vaguely recalled him from the night she wandered into town. He introduced himself as Judd and said he was the deputy. He and the sheriff had found her ma and pa and baby sister out on the prairie just outside of town. Abigail recalled what she had thought he might be like - that if he had gone to look for her folks that he might be a good man - and decided that she was right. He seemed kind and he seemed to dote on Miss Lily. His bright blue eyes sparkled every time he looked at her and he was always loving on her, just like Pa did for Ma. It made Abigail feel good to be in a house where there was so much love.

* * *

The stranger found a place at the polished bar of the Red Ox Saloon, ordered a bottle of whiskey, and watched the room behind him through the bar's mirror as he sipped on the amber liquid. Just another saloon in another town, just like every other saloon in every other town he'd been in, he thought. The conversations, the card games, the faces, they all seemed to be the same. To be honest, they annoyed him, but he couldn't let that show. Somebody in that saloon had information he needed. It was just a matter of finding the right person, asking the right questions, and waiting for them to talk.

"You must be new in town," the mayor stepped up to the bar next to the stranger and held out his hand.

The stranger looked a bit taken aback before offering his own hand.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am."

"I'm the mayor here. It's always nice to welcome a new face. What's your name, sir? And what brings you to Bovine?"

The stranger smiled slowly, his crooked smile showing sharp white teeth in a tanned, weathered face.

"Daniel Carey, sir. The pleasure is mine."


	5. Chapter 5

The last stop Hayes Cooper had to make on his rounds before heading for home was the Red Ox Saloon. He hoped it was a quiet night. He was tired and the cold weather was starting to get to him. He wanted to get home, warm himself in front of the potbellied stove, drink a hot cup of coffee and spend time with his wife. He looked forward to evenings with Althea, those quiet moments after all the chores were done and Jane was tucked into bed. They'd talk and share their dreams and plans for the future they were still working on building day by day. Those were the moments Hayes Cooper loved most about his life.

He was still thinking about those moments when he walked into the saloon and up to the bar, and as he shook off the chill from the December night.

"Evenin', Sheriff," Stan, the bartender welcomed him. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thanks, Stan," Cooper replied. "How are you doing tonight?"

"This cold is making my shoulder ache, but if that's all I have to complain about, I'd say I'm a pretty lucky man." Stan had taken a bullet in the shoulder when a couple of outlaws had taken Althea, Lily, and the saloon girls hostage the day of Lily and Judd Weaver's wedding.

"I hear that. I don't ever recall a cold spell like this. Who's the greenhorn?" Cooper nodded toward the stranger at the opposite end of the bar, working his way through a bottle of whiskey.

"New guy in town. The mayor was talking to him earlier. Name's Carey. Daniel Carey. Says he's supposed to meet a friend traveling through but he hasn't gotten here yet."

"Daniel Carey, huh?" Cooper raised a mental eyebrow and looked the stranger over from his vantage point at the end of the bar.

"That's what he says. Not a real friendly fellow, but he's payin' and he's not gettin' drunk and mean," Stan noted. "Not real interested in the girls, either."

"Do me a favor, Stan?"

"Sure thing, Sheriff."

"Keep an eye on him and let me know who he talks to, if he meets up with his friend."

"You think he's trouble, Sheriff?" Stan sounded concerned and checked under the bar for the rifle that had become his constant companion after the hostage incident with the outlaws.

"I don't know about that, Stan, but I just have an odd feeling," Cooper replied. "I'm headed home. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

"But Daniel Carey is laying in a bed at Doc's office," Judd Weaver was confused. Cooper had filled him in on the stranger at the Red Ox and what he'd learned about him. "Unless that's not really Daniel Carey."

"Abigail responded to the name in the Bible, and she has a ma and pa and baby sister. I'm thinking the real Daniel Carey is at Doc's and this stranger is the imposter," Cooper replied.

"But why would this guy use his name?" Judd paced the floor of the jail. "And who did he come to Bovine to meet? Unless it involves cows, we're not really a place people want to visit."

"Good question. Maybe we should go ask the real Daniel Carey what he knows." Cooper settled his hat on his head and braced himself against the chill on the other side of the jailhouse door. "Let's go pay Doc and Mr. Carey a visit."

Doc Amos met the men at the door, his usual gruff demeanor warming slightly when he realized the knock at the door wasn't a call to go out in the cold to care for somebody sick or dying. Doc was well used to the Texas weather, more temperamental than temperate, but he was – as the ladies in the town would say – getting on in years and the cold air didn't set well with his old bones anymore.

"Mornin' Sheriff, Deputy, what can I do for you today?" the gray-haired doctor asked, looking over the tops of his round spectacles.

"Good morning, Doc. We came to see how Mr. Carey was doing," Cooper replied as the doctor ushered the two men inside from the chill wind.

"Much better today, have a look for yourselves," Doc motioned to the room at the end of the hallway. There, Cooper and Weaver could see a bearded man sitting up in bed, spooning something into his mouth out of a heavy stoneware mug.

"His fever broke yesterday afternoon and he's a whole different man," Doc offered. "Amazing, considering that just a few days ago I thought he was headed to the undertaker's."

"Doc, do you mind if we had a word with him?" Cooper asked.

"Not at all, but be quick about it. He's still got a lot of recovering to do and he needs his rest."

Cooper nodded in reply as he and Weaver made their way down the hall to Daniel Carey's room. Cooper tapped on the door before entering.

"Daniel Carey?"

The man in the bed looked up toward the door and nodded. Cooper could see that Doc was right. Carey might have been awake and alert, but he looked far from being out of the woods. The dark circles under his eyes and the sunken cheeks gave him a gaunt, haunted look, and the bedshirt he wore hung from his shoulders. He had lost a lot of weight since Cooper and Weaver had found him and his little family on the prairie and brought them to town. Cooper noticed, too, that the hands that held the stoneware mug shook slightly. Lucie slipped into the room and took the mug, setting it on the bedside table.

"Mr. Carey, I'm Sheriff Hayes Cooper and this is my deputy, Judd Weaver. We found you and your family on the prairie and brought you to town."

Daniel Carey nodded again. He cleared his throat with a weak cough before he spoke.

"Miss Lucie did mention that, Sheriff. I'm much obliged. I lost my dear Susannah and our baby girl, but I know you did everything you could. You and the deputy, and the doc and Lucie. Thank you."

"Mr. Carey, I'm very sorry about your wife and baby," Cooper replied gently.

"My Abby girl. Doc said you and your wife took her in until I'm back on my feet?" Carey looked at Judd.

"We did," Judd replied. "She's a sweetheart and not a bit of trouble at all. She and my wife became good friends already. We'll take real good care of her while you're getting better, so don't you worry."

"She's a good girl. She can't talk, but she can let you know what she's thinking," Carey gave a weak smile before a weak coughing fit rattled from his lungs.

"Mr. Carey, we won't take much more of your time. I just wanted to ask a couple questions. There's a man in town, says he's Daniel Carey. He said he came here to meet a friend who's traveling through. Something about his story just doesn't feel right to me and I was wondering if you might know him or anything about him."

Daniel Carey drew a deep, ragged breath and settled back against the pillows on the bed. "So he's here, is he? I was wondering when he'd show up."

"You know him?" Judd asked, the confusion in his voice was undeniable.

"I know him. Known him all my life. Asa Lavery. The best friend and worst enemy a man could have."

Cooper and Weaver looked at each other and back at the man in the sickbed. Question after question raced through their minds.

Carey coughed a couple more times and asked Lucie for some water. After he emptied the cup she brought him, he turned back to the men. "Grab a couple of chairs, men. I've got quite a story to tell you."

* * *

The smell of coffee woke Lily again that morning. She used to love the smell of coffee brewing in the morning, but lately, the smell was acidic and unpleasant. She turned to bury her nose in the pillow, but the slightest movement made her stomach protest. She lay still, willing her stomach to settle. Judd was already awake; he was the one who started the coffee and he would be leaving soon. Lily willed herself to get up, remembering that she not only had a husband to take care of, she also had a houseguest: a sweet little girl who was in need of a mama to care for her and who was probably very hungry.

Lily sat up, clutching her hand over her stomach. She dressed quickly, as quickly as she could when it seemed none of her clothes fit her anymore. Her blouses felt like they were straining at the seams and her skirts were all too snug at the waist. Even her shoes felt too tight. She couldn't imagine she was eating too much; the thought of food made her queasy throughout the day. She tried not to let Judd see how poorly she was feeling because she didn't want him to worry. She struggled through her daily routine, managed a few bites of supper and figured, like everything else, this too would pass.

Lily dragged a brush through her long, dark hair and quickly pinned it up, trying to ignore the fact that she felt dizzy again, too. Maybe she was hungry, she thought. Had to be. She hadn't been eating because she felt so nauseous, and that would be enough to make anyone feel a bit off balance. She steadied herself, took a couple of deep breaths, and went down the hall to wake Abigail.

By the time Lily had Abigail dressed, Judd had left for the jail. She heard him downstairs, filling the wood bin and closing the door quietly behind him when he left. He must have thought she was still asleep. Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She wouldn't have to pretend to feel fine when she felt tired and miserable. She scrambled a couple of eggs in a skillet for Abigail and tried not to pay attention to how they looked or smelled as they cooked.

Abigail ate slowly, clearing her plate of every bite of the eggs Lily had fixed for her. She looked at Lily and pointed to her own chest, drawing a star.

"No, honey, he's not here. He had to go to the jail. That's what he does every day. We can go see him later if you want," Lily explained.

Abigail smiled and nodded. She liked Judd. He was friendly and had a kind smile. She felt safe when he was in the house. She liked Lily, too. She was very kind and did the nice things for her that her Ma did.

"Well, then. We should clean things up and get ready for our day. I have some things to do in town and then we'll stop by to see Judd. It'll be a surprise for him. What do you think?"

Abigail smiled again. Lily stood to clear the table and a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea hit her so hard that she sat down quickly, nearly missing the chair. Abigail noticed and ran around the table to Lily's side, patting her small hands on Lily's cheeks.

When Lily regained her composure, she noticed the frightened look on Abigail's face. She took the little girl's hands in hers, holding them tightly.

"I'm fine, Abigail! I just stood up too quickly and got a little light-headed, that's all! I'm okay! Thank you for keeping such a close eye on me, though!" Lily noticed Abigail's wary look and realized she didn't believe her.

"You're worried that I might get sick, too, like your folks, aren't you?"

Abigail's eyes grew wide and filled with tears.

"Oh, Abby, honey," Lily drew the small child into a warm embrace. "I promise, I'm not sick. I just stood up a bit too quick, that's all. It happens. I'll try not to stand up quick like that again, okay?" She looked into the child's dark eyes and squeezed her hands again, trying to build the little girl's confidence in her. The poor child had been through so much, Lily thought. The last thing she needed now was for Lily to scare the daylights out of her by making her think she was sick, too.

* * *

Daniel Carey spoke softly and slowly. At times Cooper and Weaver had to lean in to hear him talk.

"Asa Lavery and I grew up together. We were best friends, practically brothers, back home in Kentucky. We did everything together. Went to school, rode horses, hunted, fished, even fell in love with the same girl, Susannah Faulkner. Susannah was the prettiest girl either of us ever saw. Her pa owned the biggest horse farm in the county, and he was real particular about who Susannah was going to marry."

"Asa and I both courted Susannah, but she chose Asa over me. It wasn't a hard decision, I'm sure. Asa had money and could give her everything she ever dreamed of. Me, I came from a poor family and all I had to offer was a small patch of dirt I planned to call a farm. Broke my heart that she chose Asa, but he was my best friend and the better man for her. I just wanted her to be happy and well taken care of."

Carey paused a moment and took a drink of water. The dark circles under his eyes only emphasized the sadness in them.

"Then came talk about the war. Asa got real strange about that. I just guessed it was because Kentucky was kind of split over what side to be on. Some families had brother fighting brother back in the war, you know. When the time came, Asa and I signed up. I don't know why Asa and Susannah didn't get married before we went off to enlist. She promised she'd wait for him and he promised he'd come home. We thought we'd only be gone a couple of weeks. We didn't see much action at first, just a few little skirmishes here and there. We barely had time to load our guns and shoot before they were over. We had no idea what war was or what we were in for. Perryville. That's where we learned about war. And that's where Asa went missing. I didn't know if he was captured or killed or what happened. All I knew was that when it was all over, he wasn't there. I had to write a letter to Susannah and tell her that Asa wasn't coming home. I got shot in Salyersville and got sent home. Bullet tore my leg up. I was one of the lucky ones, I guess, though back then, I think the lucky ones were the ones that got killed. Had I known what was waiting for me, maybe I would have been better off. "

Carey paused again and closed his eyes. He was quiet for so long that Cooper and Weaver both thought he had fallen asleep. Finally, he opened his eyes again and asked Lucie for more water. He drank thirstily and continued with this story.

"When I got home, Susannah was waiting for me. And so were a couple of Union generals. They accused me of spying for the Confederacy and hauled me off to a prison at a military encampment. They were merciful enough to give me a trial. Back then, if they thought you were a spy and had enough proof of it, you could be executed on the spot. At the trial, another general stood up and told them they had the wrong man. The Daniel Carey that he knew of as a spy was tall and thin, with dark hair and dark eyes. I didn't fit the description, but Asa did. Asa Lavery had abandoned our regiment and joined a secret group that was spying for the Confederacy. He used my name. Lucky for me, the general who stood up for me was very well-known and respected and everyone believed him when he said I wasn't the man they wanted. They let me go. I thought that nightmare was all behind me. I planned on going home, working my farm, and asking Susannah to marry me, but things didn't work out that way, at least not for the most part. By then, the damage had already been done. My reputation at home had been ruined. I was still recovering from my injuries at Salyersville and couldn't work my farm and there was nobody around to help me, not that anyone would have helped anyhow."

Daniel Carey paused again to take another drink of water.

"Where was Asa Lavery during all this?" Cooper asked.

Carey gave a weak shrug of his shoulders. "No idea. Spying was risky business and for all we knew, he was dead. I asked for Susannah's hand, but her pa wouldn't hear of it. Told me he'd never let her marry me. As far as he was concerned, I was guilty. He told Susannah that he'd disown her if she even thought of marrying me. She tried to explain to him what had happened, but he wouldn't believe it. He thought Asa Lavery was the salt of the earth and was coming home after the war to marry his daughter. Susannah used to sneak out to see me. If her pa knew that, he would have killed us both. Finally, she told him she wasn't waiting for Asa to come home. She said she knew in her heart that Asa was dead and that she loved me and she was going to marry me. Her pa ordered her out of the house that very night. We went to find the preacher and he refused to marry us. Said he wouldn't marry a traitor to the Union, so we rode across the border to Tennessee and found a preacher there to marry us. I didn't even have the money for a ring. I tied a piece of ribbon around her finger instead. "

"How did you end up in Texas?" Weaver asked "and what is Lavery doing here, too?"

"We tried to make a go of things back in Kentucky. Like I said, even though they let me go and said I was innocent, Lavery had poisoned my name and the damage was done. People refused to believe that I was not a traitor. Susannah and I decided to leave Kentucky, but by then, our Abby girl was on the way and Susannah wasn't able to travel. I took a job working on riverboats and Susannah went to live with a friend until we had enough money saved up to buy a wagon and make the trip after Abigail was born. Abby was just a few months old when Asa came back. I wasn't home. He found Susannah and tried to talk her into leaving with him but she wouldn't go. I was home the following week. Susannah was all upset that he had been there and was afraid he'd come back, so I went looking for him. Found him getting on a boat to New Orleans. He accused me of stealing his wife. I reminded him that he and Susannah were never married and that he had never once contacted her to let her know he was still alive. We fought and he pulled a knife on me. I managed to knock him off the pier and into the river. He didn't come back up. I thought I killed him. I should have felt bad, but I didn't. Not after the way he destroyed my life. Not long after that, somebody broke into our house and stole all the money I had saved up from working on the riverboats. It was a huge setback. I had to go back to work on the boats and Susannah went to stay with her friend again. When we had the money saved up the second time around, we would travel. We thought about going to St. Louis or Tennessee, or even down the river to New Orleans. I had experience with the riverboats by then and could always find work. "

"But how did you get here?" Weaver repeated.

"Susannah had a cousin, Elisabeth, who she wrote to. Elisabeth and her husband had gotten in with a group of people led by a man named John Mason. A very devout man, a good man, according to Elisabeth. They were traveling west. Mason had a vision of land that God had provided for him and those who followed him. Susannah had told Elisabeth of our struggles and how we wanted to leave Kentucky as soon as we could and Elisabeth suggested we join them. Said they had made a home in a beautiful new place and everyone was welcome, even me. Susannah thought it was a wonderful idea, but me, well, I'm not so devout. I don't know if either of you men had been in the war, but it changes the way you think about God."

Daniel Carey looked out the window for a few long moments, a wistful look crossing his sad eyes. Judd Weaver looked down and scuffed at the floor with the toe of his boot. He understood exactly what Carey meant about war changing the way a man thought about God. He had been there, but thankfully, he had allowed himself to be brought back.

"Our barn burned. I didn't know it, but that night a few Negroes were camped out in the barn. They couldn't get out. I don't know why. I never kept the door locked. They should have been able to get out, but they couldn't. They died. When it was found out that they had been hiding in the barn, the Klan got all riled up and started threatening us. Said I was housing them. Said they were going to kill us for helping them. We had to leave Kentucky. It was getting too dangerous to stay. I told Susannah to write to Elisabeth and tell her we were coming. By then, baby Alice was on the way. We made plans to travel as soon as Susannah and Alice could make the trip. I found a wagon, an old thing that barely looked like it would make the trip. I got it ready. I didn't want to travel so late in the year, but Elisabeth mentioned this Paradise Trail, and I thought if we could get down south, we could stay at Fort Concho until the weather broke and then head on to our new home. Unfortunately, the day before we left, a letter came. It was from a Molly Mason, John Mason's wife. She was writing to tell Susannah that Elisabeth and her husband Thomas had both gotten very sick and passed away. I never told Susannah. Things had gotten so bad in Kentucky that we needed to leave and go somewhere that he wouldn't find us."

"You mean Lavery," Cooper interjected.

"Lavery, yes."

"What did Lavery have to do with anything at this point?" Cooper asked.

"After our money was stolen and the barn burned, I started wondering if he really was dead. Most people at home just didn't bother with us at all. They wouldn't have cared if there was a dime in that house. When I bought the wagon and the man I bought it from heard my name, he just laughed and said that was a popular name in those parts. I asked why and he said he'd just sold a horse to a Daniel Carey the day before. He described the man and it was Lavery. He was still out there and still using my name. I thought by traveling, we'd stay ahead of him, but he always manages to end up in the same town. I'm not sure how. Seems he's following the same trail. I just can't believe the Army hasn't caught up with him after all this time." Carey let out a long, frustrated sigh.

"Now that we know where he's at and what he's done, we can send to Fort Concho and let them know where he's at," Cooper offered.

"They're probably not even interested anymore," Carey replied dejectedly. "And now that Susannah is gone, it's just me and my Abby-girl. I don't know what we'll do or where we'll go."

"If he's guilty of desertion and spying, they'll be interested," Weaver replied.

Doc Amos poked his head into the room and cleared his throat. "I thought I told you men that Mr. Carey needed his rest," he groused. "Don't you have something else to do?"

Cooper and Weaver looked at each other and chuckled to themselves. "You're right, Doc," Cooper stood and set his hat firmly on his head. "Sorry we kept you so long, Mr. Carey. You keep working on getting better." He ushered his deputy out of the room past Doc's stern glare.

* * *

Lily still felt a little weak and off-kilter from the sudden dizziness that hit her at breakfast that morning, but she had things to do. She helped Abigail into her new shoes, bundled her into her woolen cloak and headed out to take care of the day's errands. The first stop was the general store. Lily had ordered a Christmas gift for Judd and it was coming in by stage. She was anxious to see if it had arrived.

While she waited for the clerk to check through the packages that had come in on the late stage the previous evening, Althea Cooper walked in with baby Jane in tow, the bells on the general store door cheerfully announcing her arrival.

"Lily! How nice to see you this morning!" Althea greeted her friend with a warm hug. "And how nice to see Abigail up and doing so well!" Althea ruffled Abigail's blond ringlets.

"Good morning, Althea!" Lily knelt next to Abigail and introduced her to her friend. "Abigail, this is Miss Althea. She's the sheriff's wife. And this little one is Jane." Jane looked at Abigail with wide-eyed wonder.

Althea took in her friend's pale face and the dark circles under her eyes. "Lily, are you feeling okay?"

"Oh, sure, Althea, I'm fi—"Lily stopped mid-word. "Actually, Althea," Lily glanced down to Abigail and her voice dropped to a whisper. Abigail didn't seem to notice, she was busy taking in all the sights of the general store.

"Actually, Althea, I don't know what's wrong. I feel awful. I wake up feeling like I never slept, my stomach can't bear the sight or smell of food, and I'm so dizzy. I nearly fell on the floor this morning and scared poor Abby half to death. I must have caught something. Oh, goodness. I hope I didn't catch –"

Althea Cooper smiled broadly. She recognized all the symptoms as Lily ran down the list. "Oh, Lily! I'm sure you're just fine! But if I may ask," Althea leaned in and whispered into Lily's ear.

Lily's eyes grew wide and her mouth formed a perfect circle as she listened to Althea's question. She did some quick figuring in her head and her hands went instinctively to her stomach.

"My goodness, Althea! I never gave that a thought! No wonder I'm growing out of my clothes!" Lily replied excitedly. "I can't wait to tell Judd!" Her eyes landed on a ball of yellow yarn in a bin next to where the women stood.

"No, I think I'm going to surprise him, instead!" Lily picked up the yarn and added it to her purchases. What a perfect Christmas present this was going to be!


	6. Chapter 6

"Do you know Christmas is just a week away?" Lily asked Judd one evening after Abigail had been bathed and tucked into bed and was sound asleep. Between having Abigail with them and a baby on the way, Lily was excited about the coming holiday. It was the first time in a long time that she could remember being excited about Christmas.

"Just a week," Judd repeated.

"Yes. Won't it be nice to celebrate Christmas with Abby?"

"If she's still here. Doc said her pa is doing real well. He might be wanting to move on soon as Doc says he can go," Judd pointed out.

"But traveling would be so hard on him after being so sick, and especially if he has to take care of a little girl," Lily countered. "We could ask them to spend Christmas with us. I know Althea wouldn't mind and what's another person at the table? We'll have plenty."

Judd thought about the situation and had to admit that Lily was right. And further, where would Carey go at this time of year? Judd hadn't told Lily about the letter Carey said he'd received about Elisabeth and her husband Thomas. The only next of kin he had mentioned and they'd both passed on. Carey hadn't talked about where he planned to go when he left Bovine, but it didn't seem that the new home he planned to make with his wife's cousin's church family made much sense now.

"I suppose we could ask him," Judd replied. "I guess the worst he could say is no."

"I hope he agrees! I would just love to have Abby here for Christmas!" Lily's voice hinted both at excitement and wistfulness.

Later that evening as they readied for bed, Lily asked Judd what Christmas was like when he was growing up.

"In a way it was like any other day," Judd answered. "We had a farm, so we still had chores to do, but Pa always made sure we were done with everything early. Ma and my gramma cooked a big dinner. They usually started the day before. Pa would go hunting and bring back a turkey and there'd be a ham and more pies and cakes than my brothers and I could eat. My aunt and uncle and the cousins would come to visit and the house was just full of us kids running around until Ma chased us outside. And there were presents, too. Ma would knit us scarves or mittens or we'd get a new shirt, there'd be a shiny new nickel or maybe a pocket knife or toy soldiers that Pa whittled for us. Pa would always read us the story from the Bible about Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus being born in a stable. What I remember most, though, was how much love filled that house and how warm and happy I felt. There were a lot of Christmases since then that didn't feel that way, during the war and afterwards."

Judd's last words tugged at Lily's heart. How she wished she could go back to all those Christmases and make them better for him! She climbed into bed and snuggled close to him, kissing him softly. Judd grew quiet and played with Lily's hair for a few moments, reflecting somberly on the Christmases he'd spent on battlefields or working cattle.

"What were your Christmases like?" he asked after a long, thoughtful silence.

Lily almost felt bad for answering. "Well, in some ways they weren't so different from yours. We had family visit and there was always so much food – things my mother never made any other time of the year. Mince pies and cakes full of fruit and nuts, and always a turkey. The house would be decorated with pine boughs and a Christmas tree on the table. It sat in a metal tub, like a pail, but a bit bigger, and it was decorated with all kind of fancy baubles and candles and it smelled so good! We'd go to church and the songs, oh, Judd! The songs they sang and played on this huge organ were so beautiful!"

Lily began to hum a tune Judd vaguely recognized. "That's pretty," he complimented. "What is it?"

"The Holly and the Ivy. It was one of my favorite songs when I was a young girl. They would sing it during the Christmas service at church."

Lily let out a long sigh. "I miss those beautiful old Christmases," she said wistfully. "The music, the Christmas tree, having family all around. Just like you said, the house was so full of love and so warm and happy."

Judd bowed his head to kiss Lily gently on the forehead before placing a finger under her chin to tilt her face up to his. "I don't know what I can do about a Christmas tree, sweetheart, and you certainly don't want to hear me sing, but I can promise you this, Lily Weaver. Every single Christmas we spend together will be filled to the brim with love and happiness. I'll see to that." He sealed his oath with a long, slow kiss.

If only you knew, Lily thought to herself with a smile. If only you knew, and I can't wait until you do.

* * *

Asa Lavery tried to focus his concentration both on the conversation around him and the cards in his hand. At his turn, he took a few cards and tossed some dollars onto the growing pile at the center of the table. This hand looked like another winner. He rolled the ends of his waxed mustache and looked disinterested. Playing cards against the locals was always such a pain, but it always got him such good information, and such full pockets. None of these fools were any good at cards or at keeping a poker face and if he really put some effort to it, Lavery could walk out of this two-bit saloon with all their cash, their homesteads, and their cattle. However, he had no interest in homesteads and cattle. Cash, though, was another story. Everyone and his little brown dog had an interest in cash.

"So what's Feeney gonna do with that ol' wagon he's got sittin' behind the feed store?" one of the locals asked, sloshing what was left of his beer around in a mug while he talked.

"Not his to do anything with," another local, one Lavery thought was named Charlie, replied.

"Ain't good for nothin' but kindlin' from what I saw of it," said the fourth hand of their card game. Lavery knew his name. He was a loud, know-it-all cowboy named Len.

"That wagon belongs to the family Sheriff Cooper brought in from the prairie a little while back," Charlie said. "The family that was sick. The wife and baby died. The man is laid up at Doc's with some kind of sickness."

Suddenly, the conversation and card game became much, much more interesting to Asa Lavery. He leaned in, picking up his whiskey glass and taking a sip.

"Brought in from the prairie, you say? Pretty fortunate they were found," Lavery joined in the conversation, nodding his head in sympathy. "Damn shame about the wife and baby, though."

"Sure is," one of the other men agreed.

"What the hell were they doing traveling in a wagon this time of year?" Lavery asked.

"And in a wagon that sure had seen better days," Len added. "Some people just don't think these things through."

Lavery called, laying a full house on the table. The other men groaned, tossing their cards in a pile as Lavery gathered his winnings.

"It's been an enjoyable evening, gentlemen, but I'm afraid I have a big day tomorrow and need to turn in early." He donned his hat and nodded to the men seated at the table. "Maybe tomorrow night I'll drop in, if any of you men want to see if you can win your money back."

Lavery crossed the street and silently moved among the shadows to the feed store at the end of town. Sure enough, behind the store stood the covered wagon he'd been following from Kentucky. He struck a match and peered into the back of the wagon. Very little remained inside, just a few rumpled quilts and a wooden box or two. He thought about what the men at the saloon said. The wife and baby had died. Susannah. His dear, darling Susannah. She couldn't be gone, could she? He closed his eyes and allowed his heart to ache to remember her face, her blond curls, her voice and her laugh. It was hard to imagine her gone, and gone forever at that. He couldn't picture a world, a life without the pretty girl he fell in love with as a young boy and the beautiful woman she had grown into. She couldn't be gone. If she was, though, he'd never forgive Daniel Carey as long as he lived. In fact, the only way he could live with the grief of losing his beautiful Susannah was if Daniel Carey were dead.

* * *

"I need to find Lily a Christmas tree," Judd told Hayes Cooper the next morning as they waited for the coffee to finish brewing on the jail's wood stove.

"Why's that?" Cooper asked, pouring each of them a cup of the freshly-brewed hot coffee.

"We were talking about Christmases when we were young and she remembered having a Christmas tree. Some kind of pine tree. It sat in a pail on a table and it was decorated and they put candles on it," Judd explained.

"Not too many pine trees growing out here on the prairie," Cooper remarked, taking a long sip of his coffee.

"I know. And I really want to surprise Lily with a tree."

"About the closest thing you'll find is a cedar bush, or maybe you'll get lucky and find a shortleaf pine sapling growing along the creek somewhere," Cooper offered. "I'm going to ride out to the homestead tomorrow morning to check on things. If you want to ride along and take a look around, maybe we'll find something that will work."

* * *

"I'll be honest with you, Daniel, I really did not expect this kind of a recovery from you when the sheriff and the deputy brought you in," Doc Amos removed his stethoscope from his ears and looked over his patient with a pleased eye.

"I owe those men my life," Daniel Carey replied, "If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here today."

"Actually," Doc pointed out, "if it weren't for that little girl of yours, you wouldn't be here today. Spunky little thing, she is. If she hadn't walked all the way into town, nobody would have ever known you were out there on the prairie. I'm just amazed she found her way to town and didn't get herself lost."

"You and me both, Doc," Carey shook his head in amazement. "I had no idea she left. Her ma and I were both so sick. I don't know how Abby didn't get sick herself, but she was trying to take care of all of us and I guess she got it in her head that she needed to get help and she took off walking across the prairie to get it. She's something, my little Abby girl."

"She sure is," Doc Amos agreed. "Mr. Carey, I can't think of any reason I need to keep you here so I'm going to let you get on to wherever it is you're going. You just need to promise me you're going to take it easy for a while until you're fully recuperated."

"I appreciate that, Doc. I can't wait to see my Abby girl. I think we're going to stay here in Bovine, though, at least for a little while. Lucie told me there's a boarding house down the street. Says it's nothing fancy, but compared to that old wagon, it'll probably feel like a palace. Who knows? Maybe we'll end up making Bovine our home."

"That sounds like a fine plan," Doc nodded his approval. "Bovine is just a plain little prairie town, but you could do a lot worse. I'll leave you to get dressed. I have some folks to check on out at the end of town. You take care, Mr. Carey."

Daniel Carey dressed slowly in the clothes that Lucie had retrieved for him from the wagon that was parked behind Feeney's feed store. She had washed and boiled them clean to make sure every trace of the fever was gone from them. It felt good to put on the freshly washed clothes, especially after the hot bath and shave Daniel had the night before. He was still weak and tired easily. The limp that was his souvenir from the war, courtesy of the bullet he took in his right leg at Salyersville was prominent now after being barely noticeable during his days of working the riverboats. In fact, it was so prominent that he now relied on a cane, a fact with which he'd yet to come to terms. He was too young to have the slow, hitched gait of an old man.

* * *

For what seemed like the first day in weeks, Lily woke feeling refreshed instead of exhausted and nauseated. It didn't hurt, either, that the near-constant wind that whipped from all directions from the prairie and had brought such bone-chilling cold had finally let up and the sun was shining brightly. Lily dressed and brushed her hair, humming a tune that matched her cheerful mood. She fixed breakfast for her husband and for Abigail and planned out her day. There were errands to run and, after the previous night's discussion with Judd, baking to do. That meant a trip to the general store to gather supplies.

Lily and Abigail stopped first at Sarah Plummer's dress shop, and then the general store where Lily produced a list of supplies she needed for Christmas baking and for everyday use. The storekeeper looked over the list, carefully comparing the items Lily detailed against items on the shelf.

"There's no need to wait, Miss Lily. I can get everything together and bring it right over to the house if you want."

"That would be fine," Lily agreed, relieved. She still had another stop and had forgotten that Judd and Cooper were riding out to Cooper's homestead that morning and Judd wouldn't be in town to help her carry everything back home. That sack of flour would get mighty heavy, especially in her condition. "I just have to stop at the bank and then I'll be home to meet you."

"Not a problem, Miss Lily. And how about this little lady?" The storekeeper nodded to Abigail. "You look like a lady who likes ginger candy, no, lemon drops!" He produced a lemon drop from the candy display and handed it to Abigail who smiled and nodded her thanks.

Lily and Abigail made their way out of the general store, the sound of bells ringing their departure.

"I'll get your order together and have it to you just as soon as I can, Miss Lily! You and Miss Abigail enjoy your day now!" the shopkeeper waved to them as they left.

The next stop was the saloon to pick up the previous day's receipts. Lily left Abigail on the bench on the front walk with strict orders to stay put as she'd only be a moment. Abigail nodded and settled herself on the bench, the same bench Angeline and Ophelia had found her underneath on the night she'd come to town to find help for her ma and pa and baby sister. As she sat there waiting for Lily to return, she watched the people of the town going about their day. A few cowboys rode by on horseback, a mother fussed at a couple of young boys with dirty faces. A couple of men looked over a horse tied to a hitching post and argued loudly over whether or not the horse was worth the money one of the men was asking for it. Abigail never noticed, though, the dark-haired man with the cold eyes leaning against the side of Greeley's Boarding House just down the street. If she had, she would have recognized him as the man that knocked Lily over when he got off the stage, the one who had given her the shiny new nickel and who had made her feel oddly uncomfortable.

Abigail never saw him, but he saw her, and when he did, he had an idea on how he'd exact revenge on Daniel Carey for the death of his darling Susannah.

* * *

Lily's last errand for the day was at the bank. As she and Abigail neared the large, wood-framed building, movement in the grass caught Abigail's eye. She broke free from Lily's grasp and ran toward the tall grass beside the building, kneeling and pushing the grass away to find a small gray cat. Her eyes lit up with delight.

"Abby, come along. We need to get to the bank," Lily chided.

Abigail stood and held up the cat, cradling it to her cheek.

"Abigail –"Lily began.

Abigail held the cat up to Lily, a pleading look in her eyes.

"All right. You can stay out here and play with the cat. But stay right here, okay? Don't go anywhere else. I'll be right back," Lily commanded.

Lily responded with a big smile, hugging the cat to her chest. She sat down on the step in front of the bank and held the cat on her lap, petting it as it tried to tug at her hair ribbons.

Lily gave the little girl an approving smile before she walked into the bank. What a blessing that child had been to her. She rubbed her hand over her own stomach, happily thinking about her own child.

A few moments later, Lily completed her business at the bank and walked out to find Abigail gone from the step where she'd left her. Lily looked up and down the street but didn't see the little blond girl. She peeked around the corner of the building, thinking that maybe the cat had finally had enough playing and had run off and Abigail had chased after it, but no trace of the child was to be found. Lily became anxious and her steps quickened.

"Abigail!" she called, looking up and down the street again.

"Abby? Abby!"

A man came out of the bank and walked toward her. "Excuse me, sir. Did you happen to see a little girl with blond hair out here before you went in to the bank?" Lily asked.

"No ma'am, I'm afraid I didn't," he replied before going on his way.

Lily became frantic. "Abigail? Abby?"

There was no response, and no trace of the child. Lily ran down the street, calling the girl's name, her cries becoming more and more agitated.

"Abby? Where are you? Abigail! Abby!"


	7. Chapter 7

Daniel Carey was just finishing buttoning his shirt when he heard the familiar voice calling from the street.

"Carey? Daniel Carey! I know you're in there, Carey. Come out here and show your face. Come out here and save what's left of your family, you coward!"

Carey hobbled toward the window, and peered out into the street. Asa Lavery stood in the middle of the dirt track, his arm wrapped firmly around Abigail's shoulders as she struggled to get away from him, a look of terror in her eyes. Carey limped across the room for his cane and then limped back to the door. He threw the door open and limped out onto the porch. Abigail's eyes lit up at the sight of her father and she struggled to run toward him. Daniel could see that in her arms she held a small, squirming gray cat.

"Abby! Abby girl! It's okay. It's okay, honey," Daniel called out to her. "Lavery!" he shouted, "Let my girl go!"

"Your girl! How do you even know she's yours?" Lavery mocked.

"Well, she's definitely not yours."

"What happened to my Susannah?" Lavery asked menacingly. "What did you do to her?"

"She got sick. We both got sick. Both of us and the baby. Scarlet fever. The doc did everything he could for her, but she died. And she wasn't anymore yours than Abigail is," Carey explained.

"You stole her from me. You knew we were to be married and you stole her from me!" Lavery shouted.

"Stole her? You disappeared. We thought you were dead. You never even tried to contact her. She waited for you, you know. She waited as long as she could, hoping that you'd come home or send word. When you never did, she gave up hope. She didn't want to be alone. I was happy for you both when she chose you because I knew she'd be cared for. I would have thought you'd have wanted the same for her, but I suppose not," Carey reasoned. "Now let my Abby girl go."

"Your Abby girl," Lavery snarled. "I have half a mind to take her to make up for you stealing Susannah from me."

"You would be so rotten. Isn't it bad enough you stole my life? You poisoned my name, made me out to be a traitor and ruined any kind of life Susannah and I might have had back in Kentucky. What made you do that, Asa? We were friends at one time. Brothers."

"Brothers," Lavery spat. "We were no more brothers than Lincoln and Booth. I wanted no parts of that damned war. I wanted to marry Susannah and take over her pa's horse farm. We would have been wealthy and happy. Instead, we had to go to war and it destroyed everything I ever wanted. What was left, you stole from me. You didn't have anything to offer her. When she told me you were moving far away from Kentucky, I made sure it wouldn't happen, but damn you, Carey, you just don't give up. That was me that stole your money. Thought it would break you, but you went right on back to working on the boats. Then I told those Negroes about your barn. I knew you never locked the door. They were happy to have a nice, warm, dry place to sleep that night."

Lavery gave an evil laugh and for a moment, Daniel Carey swore he saw the devil standing before him.

"Of course, it got a lot warmer than they expected, when I lit that barn on fire. I wedged the door shut, too. Thought that was a nice touch. And then I rode in to town and told someone I knew to pass the word to someone he knew. That's how the Klan found out." Lavery's smile spread across his face like black oil over the surface of water.

"You claim you cared so much about Susannah, but you put her in so much danger doing that. Her and the girls. The girls were totally innocent, Lavery. How could you? Have you no conscience?" Carey seethed with anger, finally knowing that his suspicions about the stolen money and the barn fire were right.

"I've no need for conscience when it comes to getting what is mine, Carey." Lavery jerked Abigail closer to him. "You will pay for what you did to my life and what you did to Susannah. She wasn't yours, Carey. She was never yours."

Abigail squirmed and twisted, trying to free herself from Lavery's grasp. In desperation, she stomped at his feet and kicked at his legs, her heel connecting hard with his shin. Lavery yelped in pain.

Yanking Abigail around to face him, he shook her hard. Kneeling at her level so his face was just inches from hers, he screamed at her, "Damn you, you little brat! If you do that again, I'll smack your teeth right out of your mouth!"

Before Carey could object, Lavery howled in pain once again. The cat Abigail was holding had clawed Lavery's face, leaving three bloody trails across his cheek. Lavery jumped back, loosening his grasp on Abigail. He grabbed the cat from her arms and threw it out into the street. "Goddamn animal!" he cried.

Abigail ran after the cat, silent tears running down her cheeks. She knelt in the street, cradling the cat to her chest. Lavery fingered his torn cheek, pulling his hand away to find blood. He reached under his coat and unholstered his pistol, which he cocked and pointed at the back of Abigail's head.

Carey watched in horror, realizing he was unarmed and unable to protect his daughter. In his weakened state, and with his limp, there was no way he could reach his precious little girl in time to save her.

"Abby! Run!" he cried. "Run, baby! Get out of –"

The sharp crack of the pistol cut him off. Abigail jumped at the sound, turning toward it in time to see her father collapsing on the front step of Doc Amos's office. Her face contorted into a silent scream as she stood and ran to him, feeling as if her legs were mired in quicksand. She fell to her knees next to her father's still body, tears silently pouring down her cheeks. Lavery grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet.

"Now, you," he began, shaking her again as terrified tears ran down her face and she shook her head a violent no.

"At least you're quiet and I won't have to listen to you while I decide if I ought to keep you or kill you," Lavery growled.

* * *

The shopkeeper had finished getting Lily's order together just as his boy came to the store to help out for the afternoon. He was glad to see him. This close to Christmas, the general store was busy and he still needed to make the afternoon deliveries. He loaded Lily's things and some packages for a few other customers into a small hand cart while he gave his boy instructions.

"Son, these things go to Miss Lily over behind the saloon. And this box goes to the café. This package here goes to Mrs. Tinsley, and for the love of Pete, don't smash it or she'll have a fit! Don't dilly-dally, now, I need you to stock some shelves when you get back."

The boy headed up the street, lost in his own thoughts. Christmas was coming and he had his heart set on a new rifle for hunting. His ma wasn't keen on the idea, but he thought he might just have his pa convinced. He was nearly a man now, and a man should own a rifle. He thought of the fine, new rifle his pa had just gotten in at the general store: the polished wood and shiny metal. It was sure a handsome piece any man would be proud to own. And wouldn't it be nice to shoot rabbits or a deer with it.

The sound of yelling drew the boy out of his thoughts. Yelling on the streets of Bovine wasn't uncommon. After all, as his ma said, cowboys only had one way of communicating, and that was loudly. This wasn't the typical, good-natured cowboy yelling, though. Somebody was angry. Very angry. He ducked into an alley between two buildings as to not cross paths with whoever the angry person was. Peeking out, he saw a man standing on Doc Amos's porch holding himself up with a cane. Another man stood in the street. A dark-haired man with a mustache and a flat black hat and a long black coat. He was holding a little girl in front of him and she looked scared. The boy recognized the girl. She was the little girl that sometimes came in to the general store with Miss Lily. He wondered why the man had her. The two men seemed to be having an argument. The one with the cane wasn't yelling; he looked too weak and tired to yell. The other man was the one doing all the yelling. The boy wasn't sure what the argument was about, but he was sure that something was very wrong and he needed to get help. He eased back into the alleyway and, leaving the hand cart, ran through the alley and toward the jail to find Sheriff Cooper or Deputy Weaver and tell them what was going on.

* * *

Cooper and Weaver rode back into town, enjoying the warmth of the day after so many days of the bitter, windy cold that had enveloped Bovine. A small cedar shrub was tied to Weaver's saddle.

"I bet Feeney has a pail you can borrow for that cedar," Cooper offered. "I'll ask Althea if she has any scraps of ribbon to decorate it." Weaver had explained to his boss how Lily missed the Christmas tree her family had when she was young and he was bound and determined to bring that part of her childhood Christmas back for her.

"I can't wait to see her face," Judd Weaver said with a smile, his bright blue eyes twinkling. "She's going to be so surprised."

"Too bad it's not a real pine, but that's the closest you'll find on the prairie. Looks like Berkey and Matt have themselves a first class operation out there. The Army is putting in orders for horses, and –"before Cooper could finish, a young boy ran up to them in the street.

"Sheriff! Deputy! Come quick. There's something goin' on at Doc's! Some men are fighting in the street and one has a little girl. It's the little girl Miss Lily brings in to the general store! They're yelling real loud!"

Cooper and Weaver looked at each other, puzzled.

"Did you see Lily there?" Weaver asked, confused about the situation.

"No, just the little girl!"

Weaver spurred his horse and raced down the street.

"Weaver!" Cooper yelled after him. He had hoped that after the incident in the saloon months before, his deputy would have learned to be less impulsive, but apparently not, not that Cooper could blame him in either situation. He was only trying to save his wife, and today, the little girl that he and Lily were caring for. Cooper spurred his horse and raced after him.

* * *

When the weather finally broke that morning, Lucie decided it would be a good day to get some washing done. She carried a washtub out behind Doc's office, filled it with boiling, soapy water, and set to stripping the beds. She was busily scrubbing the bed linens against a washboard, concentrating on the scrub-swish-swirl-wring rhythm she had going and enjoying the feel of the hot, soapy water on her hands when loud voices broke her train of thought. She dried her hands on her apron and went to investigate the source of the voices.

Lucie found Daniel Carey on Doc's front porch, leaning heavily on his cane. Even though the weather was warmer that day, it was still too cold for him to be outside for long and she was just about to open the door and usher him back inside when she noticed the other man; the one yelling, the one with Abigail.

Why on earth was Abigail with him? Lucie thought as she watched Abigail struggling and the man kneeling and shaking her. Lucie's ire rose. How dare he! She pulled Doc's rifle from above the door, checked to see if it was loaded, and before she got the door open, she heard the deafening noise of a pistol crack. She opened the door to find Daniel Carey laying on the porch, a pool of blood forming under his lifeless body and Abigail running to him, dropping to her knees next to her father, the pain in her eyes enough to break Lucie's heart.

The man approached the child and yanked her to her feet.

"Let her go," Lucie hissed, pointing the rifle at his head.

Asa Lavery ignored her, shaking the child as he said something to her that Lucie couldn't hear.

"I told you let the child go," Lucie repeated, more forcefully this time.

Lavery reached for the pistol he had tucked back into the holster at his waist.

"Uh-uh, mister." Lucie clucked, keeping the rifle leveled at Lavery's head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"You don't have the guts to shoot me, woman," Lavery growled, "In fact, I bet that thing isn't even loaded." He pulled the pistol from its holster and held it up, giving Lucie a slimy smile. Then he pointed the gun to Abigail's head. Lucie saw the little girl tremble with fear.

Lucie took a step closer to Lavery, stepping over Daniel Carey's stilled legs and pointing the rifle directly between Lavery's dark eyes. "Don't you talk to me about guts, mister. I killed a man to save my friend, and you can be damn sure I ain't havin' a second thought about killin' you to save that child."

* * *

"Abby! Abigail! Abby? Where are you?" Lily ran through the street calling out for the child, her voice growing hoarse. She stopped in front of the café to catch her breath. Where could she have gone, Lily wondered.

"'Scuse me, Miss Lily? Somethin' wrong?" Jasper Lovingood asked. Jasper was Minnie's son, and was on his way back to the café after making dinnertime deliveries.

"I can't find Abigail!" Lily cried. "Have you seen her, Jasper?"

"I saw a man, that black-haired man that came in on the stage. He had a little blond-haired girl with him. I didn't think it was Abigail, but he didn't have no little girl with him when he got to town."

"Where? Where did you see them?" Lily begged.

"Over that way, headed toward Doc's," Jasper pointed.

"Oh, oh, thank you, Jasper! Bless you!" Lily took a couple deep breaths before setting off at a run.

* * *

Cooper caught up to Weaver as he was tying his horse just down the street from Doc Amos's office. From their vantage point, they could see Asa Lavery standing in the street just off of Doc's porch. Lucie was holding a rifle on him, and it looked like Lavery had Abigail. Cooper motioned to Weaver to circle around behind one of the buildings and come through an alleyway – the same alleyway the shopkeeper's boy had been hiding in.

Cooper did the same on the opposite side of the street, circling around behind a building to come through an alleyway between two buildings. As he rounded the building, he came across a dog tied out back. The dog's loud barks announced Cooper's presence.

"Damn," Cooper hissed under his breath as he tried to shush the dog. When his efforts didn't work, he went back around the building the way he came and the dog's barks quieted. Now what? Cooper thought as he began to remap his plan.

Lavery's attention was fully fixed on Lucie and the rifle that was aimed directly between his eyes. Cooper eased down the street, one hand poised to pull his pistol and fire if needed. As he neared Doc's office, Cooper could see that Lavery had his own pistol drawn and held at Abigail's head.

"Damn," Cooper hissed again. This had all the makings of an ugly mess. He glanced around for Weaver and saw him edging out of the alleyway across the street. He hoped his deputy would remain calm and not do anything sudden or rash. Maybe, Cooper thought, Weaver wouldn't be able to see the gun pointed at Abigail's head from the alleyway.

"Asa Lavery!" Cooper called out, "I'm Sheriff Hayes Cooper and you're under arrest!"

Lavery laughed but never moved. The gun stayed pointed at Abigail's head and his eyes stayed fixed on Lucie, who also never flinched, keeping the rifle raised and Lavery perfectly in her sights.

"On your knees, Lavery and put your hands up. I'm taking you in," Cooper ordered.

Across the street, Weaver had his pistol cocked and ready.

"What for, Sheriff? Can't you see? I'm being held up by a crazy woman here! She's the one who needs arrested!" Lavery laughed again.

Cooper edged closer toward Doc's office. "I've got the right man, Lavery. You're wanted for desertion, spying, treason –"

"You can add kidnapping and murder to that list, Sheriff," Lucie shrilled. "He's got Abigail and he shot Mr. Carey."

"And yet, she's the one holding me at gunpoint, Sheriff," Lavery snarled.

"Lavery, there are two ways to do this, and I'd prefer the easy way. Consider it my Christmas gift to you," Cooper replied.

"Well, aren't you generous? Just a regular Saint Nick," Lavery taunted. He turned to face Cooper, never moving the gun pointed at Abigail's head. Cooper could see the tears on her reddened cheeks. Cooper heard an audible gasp from across the street where Weaver stood. He could now see the gun.

"Lavery, let the little girl go, she's no use to you."

"That's where you're wrong, lawman. She's a lot of use to me. She's my ticket out of here. You won't shoot at me for fear of hitting her. And you won't try to get the jump on me because you don't know if I'll actually kill her or not."

"Nobody wants to shoot you, Lavery," Weaver called from the alleyway, "Not when the Army will be happy to get their hands on you."

Lavery glanced around, "Who's that? Where are you? Show your face, coward!"

Weaver stepped out of the alley, the sunlight glinting off his badge. "I'd say the one hiding behind a little girl is the coward here, Lavery. Now drop that gun and let Abigail go. Let's call it a day already."

"I'll be damned if that day comes!" Lavery shouted. "The Army had their chance at me! Those bastards will never see me again, not alive, not if I can help it!"

Abigail trembled and crouched down, seeming to try to hide from Lavery even though she remained firmly in his grasp. On the porch, Lucie crept closer, the rifle still aimed at Lavery's head.

"You can't win here, Lavery. You've got two of the fastest guns in Texas staring you down and one really angry woman pointing a rifle at the back of your skull. And to make things even less in your favor, my wife and I took Abigail in while her pa was sick, so she's almost my daughter. You harm one single curl on her pretty little head, and I promise you will live to regret it. If you live, Lavery. If you live," Judd Weaver walked out into the street to face Asa Lavery.

Asa Lavery opened his mouth to speak, but before a word came out, a scream broke the tense silence.

"Abigail!"

Lily ran from between two buildings to find Abigail held at gunpoint by the man that had knocked her over when he stepped off the stage not so long ago. The man who had helped her up, apologized and asked where to get a bite to eat and then handed Abby a nickel and told her to buy some candy. Lily remembered how Abby had acted strangely that day, and that she'd thought nothing of it. Somehow Abby had known there was something about this man that she needed to fear, yet because she was unable to speak, she couldn't communicate her fears to anyone else. The thought made Lily's stomach roil.

Lavery jerked around toward the sound of Lily's voice, waving the gun wildly in the same direction. As soon as he moved, gunshots went off from what seemed like every direction. Lily dropped to the ground and covered her head. The acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air and stung her eyes. Oh, how she hated that smell, she thought, recalling the horrible events at the saloon on her wedding day.

What was worse than the smell of the burnt gunpowder, though, was the deafening silence afterwards. For a moment, Lily feared she had gone deaf, and then she feared that she had been shot and had gone to heaven. She opened her eyes and lifted her head slowly, expecting to see angels in front of her. She did see an angel of sorts. Abigail stood in front of her, her face wet with tears, her arms held out, reaching for Lily to comfort and be comforted. Lily wrapped the child in her arms, her own tears mixing with the child's.

"Oh, Abby! Abby! Sweetheart, I was so worried! I thought you were –"Lily's grasp on the child weakened and she collapsed onto the dirt street.


	8. Chapter 8

When Lily came to, she heard voices. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs and to try to make out what they were saying.

"She wasn't shot, she just fainted," said a woman's voice.

"Are you sure, Lucie?" Lucie, that was who the woman's voice belonged to, and Lily recognized the voice questioning her as her husband's.

"Judd, you are worse than an old woman. She just fainted. You'd faint, too, if you'd been through all she's been through and came upon that scene out there. She was just terrified for little Abigail and fell over in a dead faint when it was all over," Lucie fussed.

"Don't say dead when you talk about my wife, damn it," Judd growled. "Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine, now you just sit down before you pace a hole in Doc's floor and I'll go check on her."

Lucie breezed into the room where Cooper and Weaver had carried Lily after she had collapsed in the street. Lily was sitting on the edge of the bed, still trying to focus through the fog that seemed to surround her.

"Well, good mornin', Boss Lady," Lucie chirped, pouring a cup of water from the pitcher that sat on the bedside table and handing it to Lily. "You sure had us worried for a second there! How are you feelin'?"

Lily drank thirstily. "Better now. Where's Abigail?"

"She's in the next room, playin' with that cat. Doc's lookin' her over, but she's right as rain, Boss Lady. Nothin' to worry about. Such a shame, though, that she lost her pa. You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Lucie, really," Lily replied. "What was all that about in the street?" Lily had started to recall the events she came upon just moments before all the gunfire.

"I really don't know. Sheriff Cooper said that man was an old friend of Mister Carey's and they'd had some kind of fallin' out."

"That was some falling out. That man, he must have taken Abigail. What happened to him?"

Lucie gave a satisfied smile. "The undertaker just loaded him into his wagon a few minutes ago. Sheriff Cooper says my shootin' skills are so good, he just might deputize me, too."

"You shot him?" Lily asked incredulously.

"I can't say it was just me," Lucie answered. "Once he started waving that pistol around, there was no tellin' what he planned to do and everyone started shootin'."

"My goodness," Lily breathed. She got up and started to make her way to the door.

"And just where do you think you're goin', Boss Lady?" Lucie chided.

"I'm going to go get Abby and Judd and go home. I'm exhausted. It's been an awful day." Lily replied.

"Uh-uh. Doc wants to have a look at you, too, so don't you go gettin' any ideas on goin' anywhere," Lucie admonished.

"Lucie, I'm fine!"

"Then why'd you faint in the street?" Lucie questioned suspiciously.

"Lucie, I'm fine. I was running all over town looking for Abigail and I was all out of breath. That and, and –" Lily paused, a big smile spreading across her face, "don't you say a word, because I haven't told Judd a thing yet. I want to surprise him." Lily paused to be sure Lucie understood. Lucie nodded in response.

"I probably fainted because I was running all over town and because I'm expecting a baby!" Lily whispered to her friend.

Lucie's eyes went wide. "You're not!"

"I am! But you can't tell Judd. I so want to surprise him for Christmas, and it's only a couple of days away. Please, Lucie, don't say a word!"

Lucie wrapped her friend in a warm embrace. "I think that's the best Christmas present he could ever get, Boss Lady! But you still have to let Doc check you over before I let you go home!"

* * *

"How is she?" Judd Weaver asked his wife when she came back downstairs after tucking Abigail into bed. When they had finally returned home, Abigail had clung to Judd and wouldn't let him or Lily out of her sight. Lily had to promise to let her keep the little gray cat under the back steps in order to get her to go to bed.

"She fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow. Poor thing. She had a terrible day. I wish she could talk and tell me how she's feeling and what I can do to help her," Lily replied sadly.

"I know. I'm afraid she's going to have a rough time putting this behind her," Judd replied, "first losing her ma and baby sister and then seeing her pa get shot right in front of her. It would be a lot for anyone, knowing they just lost their whole family, but she's just a little girl."

"Althea sent that letter out to Paradise Valley to see if she could find Susannah's cousin Elisabeth. Hopefully she'll get a response soon," Lily mused.

"There won't be a response," Judd intoned. "At least not one from Elisabeth or anyone in Abigail's family."

"Judd, what do you mean?"

Judd sat across the kitchen table from Lily and told her the story that Daniel Carey had told him and Cooper – how he knew Asa Lavery, how he and Susannah had married, the troubles they faced in Kentucky and the plans they had to go to Paradise Valley after reading Elisabeth's letters. Finally, he told her about the final letter Daniel had received from Molly Mason, the letter that told how Elisabeth and her husband had both fallen ill and passed away. Lily listened with rapt attention.

"Unfortunately, Lily, Abigail has no family left now," Judd finished.

Lily got up from the table and slowly walked across the kitchen to the window. She stood silently for a several long moments, but Judd could tell by the way her shoulders hunched and heaved and how she brushed her hands across her face from time to time that she was crying. He got up from the table and went to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her hair.

"Lily, sweetheart," he began earnestly.

Lily shoved away from him, remembering what he'd said the night she and Althea had shared their discovery in the Careys' Bible with him and Cooper, that if Abigail's ma and pa both passed away and Elisabeth and no other family could be found, Abigail would most likely be sent to an orphans' home.

"No, Judd. No. I won't stand for it." Lily's voice was stern.

"For what?"

"I will not let that little girl go to an orphans' home and live with strangers. We're keeping her, Judd."

"Lily, it's not that easy, "Judd reasoned.

"And why isn't it?"

Judd really didn't have an answer. "It just isn't, that's all."

"She's not going. Judd, when I was traveling with the theater troupe, we would do shows at orphans' homes. Those kids," Lily shuddered, remembering the faces of the children in the orphanages. "Judd, you don't understand. Their eyes were so… so… empty. It was like their souls had left them. They were so sad, so in need of being loved. I am not going to let that sweet little girl go to a horrible place like that and live that kind of life. I can't do it! I won't do it! Not when she can't even talk! I just won't let it happen. She's staying here, Judd, with us. She's ours. We'll raise her like our own daughter. What's wrong with that? Tell me, Judd, what is so wrong with that?" Lily's voice rose with anger and determination as she spoke, her hands balled into tight fists.

Judd Weaver knew that this was one battle he wouldn't win, even if he wanted to. He really didn't want to send Abigail away. He had to admit, he'd become quite fond of the little girl. When he told Asa Lavery that Abigail was almost his daughter, he meant it. He loved the warm feeling he got when her face lit up when she saw him and he relished the peaceful, comfortable feeling it gave him to come home to a house with a wife and child. He wrapped Lily in his arms and held her close before he spoke.

"Okay, Lily. If this is what you want, then we'll keep her. We'll adopt her."

"Really, Judd?" Lily looked up at her husband through a fringe of dark lashes still wet from her tears.

"Absolutely. There are probably papers that will need to be written up, so we'll have to talk to the circuit judge the next time he's in town, but we'll worry about that later. If you think she'll want to stay with us, we'll keep her as long as she wants to stay. We can tell her in the morning."

"Oh, Judd! Thank you!" Lily threw her arms around her husband's neck and planted a long, grateful kiss on his lips. "Let's tell her on Christmas. Won't that be a wonderful Christmas gift?" Lily's dark eyes sparkled with joy at the idea.

"It certainly would," Judd replied. "Speaking of Christmas," Judd stepped outside for just a moment, returning with the cedar shrub, now seated in a silver metal pail borrowed from Feeney's feed store. Lily's eyes lit up with surprise when she saw it.

"It's not pine. I know it's supposed to be, but there just aren't pine trees out here on the prairie. Hell, Lily, I'm not even sure if it's anything close to the Christmas tree you were telling me you had when you were growing up, but I really tried to find something close to what you described to me," Judd explained with a smile. "I didn't know what to decorate it with, so I thought I'd leave that part up to you." He set the shrub in the center of the table.

"It's perfect, Judd, it's just perfect!" Lily clapped her hands in glee. "This is going to be the most wonderful Christmas!"

* * *

The next couple of days were a flurry of activity. Lily busied herself with baking the delicious treats she remembered from her childhood: gingerbread, mince pie, a cake filled with fruit and nuts and splashes of rum. Abigail was happy to help with the baking and with decorating the cedar 'tree'. Lily found pieces of ribbon and some beads and feathers to adorn the tiny shrub and she taught Abigail how to cut folded paper into lacy snowflakes and garlands of angels. When it was complete, Abigail was in awe at how pretty they had made the little shrub look.

On Christmas Eve morning, Althea dropped by with Baby Jane.

"Lily, I know your feelings about the church, and believe me, after what happened the day you went, I really don't blame you one bit, but tonight is special. Won't you please reconsider?"

"I don't know, Althea. I'd hate for Rose Tinsley to give a repeat performance and for Abigail to hear all those terrible things she had to say. Heaven knows what she'd think of me taking a child to church!" The very idea of exposing Abigail to Rose Tinsley's vitriolic commentary made Lily's skin crawl.

"I do understand, Lily, really, I do. I would hope that Rose would have some kind of holiday spirit in her heart and would keep that mouth of hers shut. Tell you what. We'll go in to church last and sit in the back. We won't sit in our usual seats. That way, she won't sit anywhere near us. We'll leave right at the end of the service, too, before she can say anything. And remember, Lily, anything she says only makes her look bad, not you. Everyone in town has really come around to you. I can't think of anyone in Bovine who would agree with a single bad thing Rose Tinsley would say about you," Althea reasoned.

Lily gave her friend a smile and a hug. "Oh, Althea, you have always been so kind to me! I don't know how I can possibly say no when you spell it all out like that."

"So you'll go?" Althea asked hopefully.

"I'll think about it," Lily replied. "I'll talk to Judd and I'll think about it. It really wouldn't be Christmas Eve if we didn't go to church, would it?"

* * *

"Lily, are you sure?" Judd asked, concerned. Lily had just told him Althea's plan for them to attend the Christmas Eve church service with her and Cooper and how she planned to keep them far away from Rose Tinsley.

"I think we should. It's high time I quit letting what that miserable Rose Tinsley thinks keep me from going where I want to go and doing what I want to do in this town. And besides, a little girl should be in church on Christmas Eve," Lily nodded toward Abigail.

Judd gave Lily's reasoning wary consideration. "If you're sure about this, Lily, we'll go. But only if you're absolutely sure."

Lily nodded again toward Abigail, who was crouched on the floor trying to get the little gray cat to play with a length of yarn. "I'm sure," she said confidently, "It's not about me anymore."


	9. Chapter 9

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Holly and The Ivy lyrics are not mine. Song written by D. Willcocks**_.

Judd, Lily, and Abigail met the Coopers outside the church as twilight began to fall over Bovine. It seemed everyone in town had turned out for the evening service and the church would be full that night. Pastor Gibson met everyone on the church steps.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's such a beautiful night, I thought maybe we'd try something different this Christmas Eve. Won't you join me in the grove?" he spoke, his voice booming over the din of the gathering congregation.

He was right, the cold weather from the previous weeks had finally broken and the night was cool, but not cold and the wind was finally still. The sky was clear, hinting at sky that would soon resemble diamonds on velvet. Lanterns lit the way from the front of the church to the grove where a bonfire popped and crackled in the December evening air. A few women from the church passed out candles, telling the congregants to be careful not to burn themselves. Pastor Gibson urged everyone to gather in close and began to speak.

"I was so taken with the loveliness of this night that I could only imagine the beauty and wonder the shepherds and wise men had to have witnessed and felt on their way to Bethlehem, so I thought I'd give tonight's sermon under the same stars that may have shone down on them on their journey so many years ago."

Abigail looked around at the churchgoers gathered in the grove behind the white clapboard church, their faces bathed in candlelight. She didn't remember much of Christmas with her ma and pa back in Kentucky, but she knew this was a very special night. She had watched and helped Lily make preparations, she'd experienced all the wonderful sights and smells in the general store, but this was the first time they'd been to this building and heard this man speak such beautiful words. It was almost too much for her tiny child's heart to take in. She tugged on the hem of Judd's coat and he reached down and picked her up, snuggling her close. Lily stood beside them, holding a candle. She looked up at both of them, her face aglow in the candlelight, a beautiful smile spreading across her face. Abigail buried her face in Judd's neck and allowed tears to fall. She wasn't exactly sad, though after the week's earlier events, she had every reason to be. She was crying because everything was so peaceful and beautiful.

The pastor led the congregation in song, many voices becoming one singing _Silent Night_ and _The First Noel. _Lily's voice stood out from everyone else's, her crystal-clear soprano soaring to the heavens. Abigail looked at her with surprise. She had never heard Lily sing before and was amazed to hear the angelic voice that came out of the same person that had been caring for her for the last several weeks. The sound was enough to bring her to tears once more.

Pastor Gibson spoke again, finishing his sermon and then wished his congregation a peaceful holiday. The churchgoers were free to go, but most gathered around to visit and share Christmas greetings. Lily and Judd stood with Althea and Cooper greeting friends when Rose Tinsley passed by, clutching her Bible to her ample bosom. She gave Lily a cool glance before stopping to wish Althea and Cooper a merry Christmas. She then stopped in front of Judd and Lily. Judd could see Lily tense up almost immediately.

"Deputy, Mizz Weaver," Rose said, glancing over her little round spectacles as if she were looking Lily over for approval.

"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Tinsley," Lily replied politely, her hand tightening on Judd's arm.

"Yes, merry Christmas to you, too." Rose Tinsley knelt down to Abigail's level. "And who do we have here? Is this the little girl that wandered into town from the prairie? The one whose folks passed away?"

"Yes, ma'am, this is Abigail Carey," Judd replied quickly before Lily could respond.

"Such a lovely young lady," Rose stood up to speak to Lily. "And such a shame what happened to her family. I'm very impressed that you took her in to care for her. That was very Christian-like of you. You just might turn out to be decent people after all."

Lily could see Judd's chest swell with indignation at the remark. She reached over and placed her hand on his arm to calm him before he said anything.

"Why, thank you, Mrs. Tinsley. That's very kind of you to say," Lily replied, mustering all the gratefulness she could.

"Mmmphf," Rose nodded her head at Lily, Judd, and Abigail, adjusting her round-rimmed glasses and looking down her nose at the three before waddling off to join her husband.

"What on earth was that all about?" Althea asked, having caught the very end of the exchange between Lily and Rose Tinsley. She had watched the older woman approach her friend and cringed at what might transpire between the two women, but it appeared that Lily had handled the situation gracefully.

"You certainly handled that well," Judd pointed out. "Much better than I was going to. Decent people. Just who does she –"

Lily stopped Judd before he said anything more. "It's Christmas, Judd, and I was feeling rather charitable. Besides, that's the closest thing to a compliment and a Christmas gift Rose Tinsley ever gave anyone, I think." Lily stifled a giggle, remembering that Abigail was standing next to them and, although the child couldn't talk, she could definitely hear.

Judd chuckled at her comment, relaxing now that he knew that Lily wasn't upset over the woman's remarks.

"You're probably right," Althea chimed, "It probably pained her to say that much!" The comment sent Lily and Althea both into peals of laughter. Remembering themselves and where they were, the two friends struggled to contain themselves.

Dabbing tears of mirth from her eyes, Althea spoke "We really must get home. I need to get this little one to bed. We'll see you tomorrow. I'll be there early to help you decent people get everything ready for dinner." The remark sent her and Lily into another fit of giggles, leaving Judd and Cooper shaking their heads and wondering what their women found so amusing. Once the women got themselves back under control, the friends parted with warm hugs and merry Christmases and returned home with hearts happy and full.

* * *

Christmas morning broke in Bovine bright and sunny with a crisp briskness in the air. Lily awoke early to prepare for Christmas dinner. She wanted this Christmas to be reminiscent of the Christmases she and Judd had remembered from their childhoods, with a house full of friends they considered family and food that evoked the memories of those long-ago days. They had invited the Coopers, Lucie, Doc, Matt and Berkey, Ophelia, Angeline, and Stan. Judd wasn't sure where they would put everyone, but Lily was confident they'd have plenty of room and, with Althea offering to help, plenty of food.

"Mmm, everything smells delicious, Lily," Judd reached around his wife to lift the lid off a pot on the stove. Lily swatted at his hand playfully.

"Judd, if you sample everything, there won't be enough for all our guests!"

"Well, if you won't let me have a taste of this, I guess I'll just have to settle for something sweet," Judd wrapped his arms around Lily's waist and kissed his way up her neck to her earlobe, pausing to nibble for a moment.

Lily let out a contented sigh and allowed herself to momentarily melt into her husband's arms before reminding herself that she had so much to do before their friends would start arriving, starting with telling Abigail their news for her. Lily broke away from Judd's embrace and looked up into his sky-blue eyes.

"Should we tell her now or wait?" she asked.

"I don't think I can wait any longer," Judd replied. Together they ascended the stairs to Abigail's room to wake the still-sleeping child.

The sight of both Judd and Lily there together when she awoke filled Abigail with a sense of confusion and trepidation. Lily sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the little girl onto her lap.

"Merry Christmas, Abby!" Lily said with a big smile. Abigail gave her a half-smile back.

"Abby, I know you've had quite an adventure since you came to Bovine and I hope that by staying here with Judd and me, we've been able to make things a bit easier for you. I know you're probably scared and confused and wondering what's going to happen next and that's what Judd and I want to talk to you about."

Abigail looked from Lily to Judd and back to Lily, her dark eyes wide.

"Abby, how would you like to stay here and live with Judd and me? I know we can't ever replace your ma and pa, but we'd really like it if you'd stay and if we could adopt you and raise you as our own daughter. You know, I've always wanted a little girl," Lily smiled and smoothed Abigail's blond, sleep-ruffled curls.

Abigail's trepidation turned to surprise. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"Would that be okay?" Lily asked again "We'd love for you to stay with us, Abby. We really would!"

Judd joined in, "Yes we would, Abby. I think it would be wonderful to have two pretty ladies in the house. So, what do you think? Do you think you'd like to stay here and live with us?" he asked with a smile, his blue eyes sparkling.

Abigail looked at each of them and a smile spread slowly across her face. She wrapped her arms around Lily's neck and then reached for Judd, hugging them both tightly. Then she eased away from them and patted her hands on her chest and pointed to each of them.

"We love you, too, Abby," Lily smiled through joyful tears. "We love you too!"

"Yes, we do," Judd said with big smile. "Now, maybe you should get dressed and get downstairs. I'm pretty sure I heard ol' Saint Nick and his team of donkeys last night, jingle bells and all! I can't wait to see what he left you!"

Abigail's little brow furrowed in confusion.

"Donkeys?" Lily asked, confused herself.

"It's Texas and there's no snow! He can't use that fancy sleigh of his here, so he has donkeys and a wagon!" Judd teased. "Let's get downstairs and look if you don't believe me!"

* * *

The sight awaiting Abigail in the parlor left the little girl in surprise. The cedar Christmas tree had been moved to the small table in front of the window and on the floor below it were several packages wrapped in brown paper and tied with red yarn. The little gray cat was already playing with the yarn and had unraveled the ends of the bow on one of the packages. One of her stockings hung from the edge of the table and was filled with something lumpy. Judd sat on the very edge of one of the two chairs on either side of the small table, grinning with anticipation.

"Merry Christmas, Abby! See, I told you I heard Saint Nick last night!"

Lily had followed Abigail into the room and gasped with surprise. Judd had insisted on doing this part of Christmas himself. He'd asked Lily for one of Abigail's stockings and Lily knew what was in two of the packages as she'd had Sarah Plummer make a new dress for Abigail and she'd gotten her a doll at the general store. She didn't know what Judd had put in her stocking, though, and she didn't know what was in the third package.

"Go ahead, sweetheart," she nudged Abigail. "Open your Christmas presents!"

Abigail knelt on the floor next to the brown-paper-wrapped stack and looked at everything in awe. She was sure she never did anything like this back home in Kentucky. She took her stocking from the edge of the table and dumped it onto the floor. A couple of oranges and several pieces of candy wrapped in colorful paper tumbled out. She shook the stocking and a shiny silver nickel fell out, too. Her eyes opened wide.

"Wow! Look at all that good stuff!" Judd grinned.

Abigail smiled back. She'd never had so many delicious treats all at once. She carefully gathered the oranges and candies back up and deposited them back into her stocking, making sure the nickel was safely stored away as well. She then chose one of the packages and untied the bow. Carefully peeling away the paper, she revealed a new pink dress with a ruffled hem and ruffles at the shoulders. Her mouth formed a perfect O as she stood and held it up to herself, twirling around and imagining the dress whirling away from her like a pink cloud.

"Oh, Abby, it's beautiful! You'll look beautiful in it!" Lily fawned.

Judd nodded in agreement, his heart full of love for the little girl who was now his own. How pretty she would be in her new pink dress!

Abigail carefully folded the dress. She unwrapped the next package to find a doll with blond curls like hers. A huge smile spread across her face as she hugged the doll to her chest. Lily beamed with pride. She was pleased to see how happy Abigail was with her presents. Judd handed Abigail the third package.

"I think this one might be yours, too, Abby," he said with a smile.

Abigail looked surprised. Surely no other little girl had gotten so many gifts for Christmas! She unwrapped the third package to find a small, framed slate, a piece of felt, and some sticks of chalk. The slate had a strap attached to it so she could carry it around her neck.

"Look at that!" Judd exclaimed, excitement in his voice. "You can draw what you want to tell us, and when you learn to write, you can write what you want to say!"

Abigail picked up one of the chalk sticks and drew a line across the slate. She looked at the slate and then to Judd and Lily with amazement.

"And when you're done," Judd continued, "you can just wipe it away and start all over." He took the felt and wiped at the line she had drawn, erasing it.

Abigail drew another line and then wiped it away with the felt. She drew a couple of circles and what looked somewhat like a cat and then wiped them away and drew some more. Lily went to her husband and wrapped him in a warm embrace.

"What a wonderful idea, Judd! I never even thought about getting her a slate!"

"You have to admit," Judd grinned, "Saint Nick knows what he's doing. Besides, if we're going to adopt her, we're going to have to learn how to communicate with her, and her with us. It's not perfect, but it's a start!"

Judd reached into his pocket and produced a small, velveteen bag, which he handed to Lily. "I think Saint Nick left this for you."

Lily opened the bag to reveal an oval-shaped gold locket engraved with flowers that could be worn either as a brooch or on a piece of ribbon around her neck. She let out a long, low breath at how beautiful it was.

"Oh, Judd! I love it!"

"Open it," he urged.

Lily opened the locket to reveal two locks of hair, one a dark blond and one a much paler blond. Her eyes welled with tears at the sentiment.

"Judd," she breathed, "how thoughtful!"

"Maybe if that photographer comes back to town we can have him make our pictures for it," Judd offered.

"That would be wonderful!" Lily exclaimed. She handed Judd the last package from beside the table, a large square package with the yarn bow now shredded into strings thanks to the little gray cat. Judd sat back down in the chair to open it. He untied what remained of the yarn and tossed it across the floor. The cat immediately pounced on it and dragged it under another chair, tumbling over itself onto its back to fight with the imaginary foe much to Abigail's delight. He peeled away the brown paper wrapping to reveal a heavy oilcloth raincoat, like the one Cooper wore. He stood to try it on, turning around so Lily could see how it fit perfectly across his broad shoulders.

"All those days you had to be out riding in the wind and the snow," Lily said, "I wanted to be sure you were warm and dry. "

"Thanks to this, I definitely will be," Judd wrapped Lily inside the coat with him and gave her a kiss. "It's perfect, Lily. Thank you."

When he let Lily go and smoothed the jacket along the length of his tall frame, Judd felt something in the coat's pocket. He reached inside and pulled out another brown paper-wrapped package.

"Lily, what's this?" he asked curiously, receiving only a smile in response.

Judd pulled the paper open to reveal a tiny pair of knitted yellow booties. He looked at them and then to Lily with a puzzled look on his face.

"Lily, forgive me for not understanding, but why would there be –" Judd began and then a slow smile spread across his face.

"Baby booties?" he asked, a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

Lily nodded enthusiastically.

"You're –" Judd began, barely able to contain his surprise.

Lily nodded again.

"We're –" Judd placed a hand gently on Lily's stomach.

Lily couldn't contain the smile on her face. "Yes we are, and if I've counted correctly, I'd say our little one should be arriving sometime in early July."

Judd let out a loud whoop. "A baby! A fourth of July baby!" He picked Lily up and twirled her around, planting a long kiss on her lips before he set her back down.

A look of regret crossed his face and he placed both hands on her stomach. "I didn't do anything wrong there, spinning you all around like that, did I?"

Lily laughed, snaking her arms around her husband's neck. "No, no, everything's fine!"

"Well, now," Judd began, laughing with her. "Hot damn! A baby! This is the best Christmas gift I could ever have. I started off with a new daughter and now I have another one on the way!" He suddenly looked sheepish, remembering himself and the fact that he had cussed in front of a lady and a child.

Lily giggled, excusing her husband for his lack of decorum in his moment of excitement. She motioned to Abigail, who was watching them intently from where she sat on the floor, drawing on her new slate.

"And what do you think, Abby? You not only have a new family, you have a brand new brother or sister on the way!" Lily asked

Abigail picked up her new doll and cradled it the way she saw her ma cradle Baby Alice. She rocked the doll in her arms and then pointed to Lily.

"Yes, we're going to have a baby and I know you're going to be a big help and a wonderful big sister!" Lily exclaimed. "What do you think? Does that make you happy?"

Abigail looked pensive for a moment and then allowed her face to brighten with a big smile. She nodded her head quickly.

"I'm happy, too," Lily replied, hugging the child and kissing her blond curls. "I have everything I ever wanted!"

* * *

Moments later, the Coopers arrived. Judd couldn't contain his excitement about the baby and told Cooper before he was even in the door. After a hearty round of congratulations, Althea and Lily went off to the kitchen to work on getting Christmas dinner ready for their guests.

Judd retrieved a hammer and tacked a piece of mistletoe in the doorway between the kitchen and the parlor.

"Wherever did you get that?" Althea asked.

"Feeney had a bunch in a basket down at his store. I figured I'd get some and put it up and maybe it might spur Matt to do more than just stare at Ophelia all day!" Judd chuckled.

"We ought to see if it works," Cooper mused, giving the little green sprig with white berries a glance with a raised eyebrow. "Come on over here, Althea!"

"Oh, now, Cooper," Althea blushed as she backed away slowly. Cooper caught her around the waist and playfully planted a kiss on her lips.

"Yep, I'd say it works real well!" he nodded approvingly, enjoying the blush that crept over Althea's cheeks and the good-natured laughter from his friends.

* * *

After welcoming their guests – Matt and Berkey; Angeline, Ophelia, and Lucie; Stan and Doc – and enjoying a delicious meal of ham and beef, a variety of vegetables that Althea had put up earlier in the fall, Lily's tasty biscuits, and more pies and cakes than it seemed the table could hold, the friends retired to the parlor. It didn't go unnoticed that Matt and Ophelia lingered in the doorway under the mistletoe for a stolen kiss along the way.

"About time!" Berkey teased.

"Hey, now, leave the two lovebirds alone. We don't want to scare the shy back into 'em," Judd joked. "Besides, Lily and I have some very important news we want to share with everyone."

The room hushed in response as the group awaited what Judd had to say. He bent to pick Abigail up and pulled Lily close to him.

"As you all know, we took this little lady in with the intention of letting her go on with her folks once they got better. Unfortunately, that wasn't the way things worked out with her ma and pa, and Lily and I have grown mighty fond of Miss Abigail, so we've decided to step in and raise her as our own." Judd looked around the room and gave a satisfied nod.

"We're adopting her."

A round of cheers went up from the gathered group. Judd hushed them.

"That's not all. That's not all. Lily told me just this morning that come summertime, Abigail will have a little brother or sister joining her!"

Berkey let out a loud whoop, and a jubilant "here, here!" followed from another of the friends.

"This calls for a celebration!" Stan exclaimed, standing and finding his coat. He produced a bottle of whiskey from the pocket. "I was thinking we could share a toast and I can't think of a better reason for it, if that's all right with you, Miss Lily."

Lily wiped mirthful tears from her eyes. "I'll get some glasses," she laughed.

Matt produced a harmonica from his vest pocket and began to play a tune. Soon the room was filled with music and the clapping of hands and the stomping of feet as the group sang along.

"I never knew you could play that thing," Judd mused, amazed at his friend's musical talent. "Hell, Matt, if I'd have known that, we'd have had some fine entertainment out there on those long, boring trail rides!"

"Are you kidding?" Berkey mocked teasingly. "He'd have likely scared the cattle and started a dang stampede!"

"Hey, now, Ophelia gave me this for Christmas. At least I know she appreciates good music!" Matt retorted.

Abigail tugged on Lily's skirt to get her attention and then motioned with her hands as if she was pulling something from her mouth and then fluttered her hands around her head like tiny birds. She did this a few times until Lily understood what the child was telling her.

"Do you mean sing, Abigail? Do you want me to sing?"

Lily nodded excitedly.

"Okay. Let me see." Lily thought for a moment and then began to sing a song Judd instantly recognized from the night they had discussed what their childhood Christmases were like.

_The holly and the ivy,  
When they are both full grown,  
Of all trees that are in the wood,  
The holly bears the crown:_

_O, the rising of the sun,  
And the running of the deer  
The playing of the merry organ,  
Sweet singing in the choir._

_The holly bears a blossom,  
As white as lily flow'r,  
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,  
To be our dear Savior:_

_O, the rising of the sun,  
And the running of the deer  
The playing of the merry organ,  
Sweet singing in the choir._

_The holly bears a berry,  
As red as any blood,  
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,  
To do poor sinners good:_

Lily's crystalline soprano was soon joined by the plaintive cry of the harmonica. At the end of the song, the rest of the group joined in on the chorus. Abigail stood in the center of the room, at first mesmerized by Lily's singing, but by the end of the song, she was gracefully swaying and twirling, holding baby Jane's hands and coaxing her to dance along.

Doc Amos stood and led the ovation when Lily finished the tune. "That was lovely, just lovely."

"Lily, we sure do miss your singing," Angeline agreed.

Lily felt a blush creep over her cheeks. "You all are much too kind."

"On that note," Stan rose from his chair, "I had better get the saloon opened up again. Those cowboys aren't going to be happy if they can't celebrate some on Christmas." He gathered his hat and coat and thanked his hosts for their hospitality. Wishing everyone a merry Christmas, he set out into the December twilight to open the saloon for an evening of holiday revelry.

"We should probably go, too," Angeline motioned to Ophelia. "Bring that harmonica," she told Matt. "We can do some singing and dancing tonight."

Lucie and Doc and Althea and Cooper also gathered their coats and said their goodnights, leaving Lily and Judd and Abigail to reflect on their first Christmas as a family.

* * *

Lily began straightening the room and kitchen and found herself in the doorway under the mistletoe. Judd stopped her before she could go anywhere and planted a long, slow kiss full of longing and urgency on her lips.

Before Lily could object and remind him there was a child present, Abigail squeezed in between them. Judd laughed and picked the little girl up in his arms.

"Sorry, Lily, but I think I owe my best girl here a kiss." Judd planted a noisy kiss on Abigail's cheek and the little girl wiggled and grinned in his arms.

"Well," Lily huffed in feigned annoyance. "It's a good thing, Mister Weaver, that I am not the jealous type!"

"Is it, now?" Judd teased. "Because I have an extra arm here for you." He held Abigail in one arm and pulled Lily tightly to him with the other, giving her another kiss.

"And you, little lady," Judd turned to Abigail. "Did you have a merry Christmas?"

Abigail nodded enthusiastically.

"Ol' Saint Nick will be happy to hear that." Judd hugged both of his girls to him for a long moment.

"This was exactly the kind of Christmas I remembered," he said quietly.

"And the kind of Christmas I remembered, too, "Lily replied, "full of the things that remind me of years gone by and things that give me hope for the future, friends who are family and a family of my very own, and a house so warm and full of love. I couldn't ask for anything more. I love you both so much!" Standing on tiptoe, she kissed her husband and her new daughter, her eyes glistening with tears.

"And I love you, too. Merry Christmas, Lily," Judd smiled, his bright blue eyes sparkling.

"Merry Christmas, Judd," Lily replied. "The first of many merry Christmases to come!"

_**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your patience with this story and your very kind reviews! Writing this one was a bit more difficult than I anticipated as this story called for quite a bit of research to try to keep the story as authentic to the time period as possible. I hope I was able to serve the story well. Work and life also beckoned during the writing of this story and made it difficult to keep the kind of writing schedule I would like. I really appreciate your loyalty and patience and hope you've enjoyed this installment of my Bovine, Texas series. I have more stories in mind, so please stay tuned! **_


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